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Learning Disability Week 2025
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People with learning disabilities often face more barriers when it comes to making friends and having meaningful relationships.
Statistics from the 2024 Mencap Manifesto show that one in three people with learning disabilities spend less than one hour outside their home on a typical Saturday, and only 26.7% of adults with learning disabilities have a job. Yet, 86% of unemployed people with learning disabilities would like a paid job.
For many of us, friendships are often formed at school or work, and it is common to meet our partners at work too. But for people with learning disabilities, who have fewer opportunities to socialise, it is difficult to make connections outside of their support network; of family, support workers and healthcare professionals.
Do you see me?
This year, Learning Disability Week (16-22 June) is all about people with a learning disability being seen, heard and valued.
We love this theme as recently we have been looking at more ways in which we can support people to have more meaningful relationships.
91% of staff have now completed our mandatory ‘Supporting People with Relationships’ training and we have introduced a friendship aspiration goal into the support plans of the people we support.
We would love to see more people that we support have one new friend or relationship, with a person who is not paid to be with them, and who they see once a month.
And of course, Supported Loving continues to empower autistic people and people with learning disabilities to have intimate relationships. With its growing library of different resources, including: videos, webinars, training, podcasts and guides, its a great resource for everyone.
Loneliness
As we move on from Loneliness Awareness Week into Learning Disability Week, we hope that these new initiatives will help to address the imbalance that people with learning disabilities face in meeting new people. Helping people to be seen and less lonely by making more friends.
To find out more about Learning Disability Week and how you can donate or get involved, click here.