Introduction
According to the Office for National Statistics 2020, about 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability. This means around 2.16% of adults and 2.5% of children in the UK. In Somerset, an estimated 3,100 people had a learning disability in 2019/2020, which is about 0.5% of the population. For more information on Somerset, visit the Learning Disabilities (LD) section on Somerset Intelligence (The home of information and insight on and for Somerset).
There are many steps that can be taken and small lifestyle changes that can be adopted to help improve our own health and wellbeing. Please look at the wellbeing advice and information provided on this website.
Mencap
Mencap’s definition of a learning disability is: ‘A Learning Disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities – for example household tasks, socialising or managing money – which affects someone for their whole life.’
Real people share their thoughts in this film:
For more information on different types of learning disabilities and support, see the Mencap web page – What is a learning disability?.
According to Mencap’s research, people with a learning disability tend to have poorer physical and mental health. Life expectancy for women is 18 years shorter than those without and for men, life expectancy is said to be 14 years shorter than those without learning disabilities.
It is therefore essential that we improve health inequalities and access to good quality healthcare. For more information visit Learning Disability – Health Inequalities Research on Mencap.
Useful Links
Connect Somerset website has lots of information about equipment, community support and the services that are available to you.
Find out how social services can help on the Somerset Council ‘Social Care – What we do’ page.