Learning Disability Week 2025: Raising voices, challenging inequality

This week-long event brings national attention to the experiences of people with learning disabilities, highlighting both the challenges they face and the achievements they make.
This year’s theme is “Do you see me?”, which centres on visibility and understanding, focusing on helping people with a learning disability feel seen, heard, and valued. It calls on everyone to reflect on how society can become more inclusive and supportive, especially in healthcare, education, and employment.
The importance of learning disability week
People with learning disabilities face significant health inequalities. Around 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability, yet many still face barriers accessing basic services like healthcare and education. These avoidable inequalities are often linked to poor access to healthcare, lack of understanding, and barriers in communication.
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Learning Disability Week plays a crucial role in challenging stereotypes and pushing for changes to create a fairer society. It’s a time to celebrate the contributions of people with learning disabilities, while also advocating for equal access to opportunities and care.
Local services and support in Kensington and Chelsea
In Kensington and Chelsea Equal People Mencap offers a wide variety of supported training, groups, activities and social groups throughout the week at their Resource Centre in Ladbroke Grove and out in the community. This includes daily drop-in runs on Monday to Friday 10 to 4pm.
Other local support options include:
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council's Learning Disability Resource Centre - A social services day service for adults with complex physical and learning disabilities with a variety of activities.
How the NHS supports people with learning disabilities
The NHS has a number of initiatives in place to better support individuals with learning disabilities, including:
- The Learning Disability Register: People on this register are entitled to annual health checks and flagged for priority support.
- STOMP/STAMP: These programmes aim to reduce the overuse of psychotropic medication and improve mental health care for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.
- Reasonable Adjustments Flag: A digital tool that helps ensure people receive tailored support during NHS appointments by including details of necessary adjustments.
- The Oliver Mcgowan Mandatory Training , was introduced in response to the LeDeR programme, which reviews deaths of people with learning disabilities to improve services.
How you can support learning disability week
There are many ways individuals and organisations can get involved:
- Take part in fundraising activities like bake sales, sponsored walks, or dress-up days with Mencap
- Share stories and social media posts using the hashtag #LearningDisabilityWeek to spread awareness.
- Organise awareness events in schools, workplaces, or community centres.
- Donate to charities like Mencap or volunteer your time to support local services. Click here to donate.