Page 3 - Community Living Magazine 34-2

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Covid-19 exposes the precarious

Community LIving
nature of support around the world

ISSN 0951-9815
Volume 34, no 2, winter 2021 ur reports from 10 countries (pages 12-14) about the global impact of Covid-19
hold some important lessons. The effects have varied. In Taiwan, for example,
Published by Othere are as yet no known cases among people with learning disabilities in line
CL Initiatives Ltd
Link-Ability, Conway House, Ackhurst Business with the country’s low number of cases overall, a result of lessons learnt from the 2003
Park, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 1NY SARS outbreak. European countries have fared far worse.
There are, however, underlying themes common to all the countries we feature. In
 www.cl-initiatives.co.uk
 clienquiries@outlook.com every case, the needs of people with learning disabilities and specific threats to their
t @CommLivingmag wellbeing have had to be brought forcibly to the attention of governments. Even in
f www.facebook.com/ Taiwan, campaigners have needed to fight for official attention.
CommunityLivingMagazine
 01257 241899 There have had to be loud, public campaigns across the world on major issues such
as possible withholding of medical treatment for people with learning disabilities and
Editor an absence of clear, vital information. Advocacy groups have had to speak up and
Simon Jarrett, simonjarrett1@outlook.com
provide support themselves in the absence of government action.
Publisher and subscription enquiries Support for families has been withdrawn or absent, a particular problem when
Jo Adshead, Link-Ability (address as above), services closed. Often, people with learning disabilities and their families have been left
clienquiries@outlook.com
to cope as best they can.
Production editor and designer The precarious nature of
Christy Lawrance, www.clcomms.com support has been exposed. This tells us that learning disability is,
Research editor The absence of people above all, a political issue about
Julie Ridley, reader in social policy and with learning disabilities
practice, University of Central Lancashire from government thinking the exclusion of a group of people from

Contributors has been evident. the civic and social sphere in which
Photographs and interviews: Seán Kelly, In societies all over the
www.seankellyphotos.com world, people with important decisions are made
Illustrator: Robin Meader, robinmeaderartist@
gmail.com, https://tinyurl.com/robinmeader disabilities are often
Legal: Belinda Schwehr LLM, consigned to the lower
legal framework trainer and consultant, reaches of the social pyramid. Sadly, those with learning disabilities are usually at the
Care and Health Law, belinda@
careandhealthlaw.com bottom of that lowest tier, their voices unheard, their needs and desires unconsidered.
Welfare rights: Charlie Callanan In every country, however, the power of advocacy and self-advocacy keeps the lights
Arts: Tracey Harding burning, ensuring that governments do in the end take note and react, even if their
History: Susanna Shapland
Columnists: Simon Duffy, director, Centre for actions are often too late and inadequate.
Welfare Reform; Jan Walmsley, independent This tells us that learning disability is, above all, a political issue about the exclusion
researcher; Sara Pickard, external affairs of a group of people from the civic and social sphere in which important decisions are
officer, Mencap Cymru; Suzanne Gale, social
care consultant made. Such exclusion can be rectified only by social and political action.
It is political – but not necessarily ideological. As our reports show, governments of
Editorial Board widely differing ideological outlooks and varying from liberal to authoritarian struggle
Jo Adshead, chief executive, Linkability
Helen Atherton, lecturer in nursing, University to acknowledge the needs of their learning-disabled populations.
of Leeds In any society, anywhere, constant vigilance, action and campaigns are needed to
Cover: images: NASA/Wikimedia Commons; Wellcome Collection; design: Christy Lawrance
Noelle Blackman, chief executive, Respond prevent the disappearance of people with learning disabilities from public consideration.
Jo Clare, former chief executive, Three Cs
John Crawford, chief executive, Three Cs
Debbie Forde, senior lecturer, School of Social Cruel system blocks people from their own savings
Work, University of Central Lancashire Ed Davey’s report (pages 24-25) on young people with learning disabilities being denied
Isabelle Garnett
Simon Jarrett access to their child trust funds seems to epitomise the chilling, casual cruelty of the ways
Gill Levy systems of government can work. They seem almost designed to prevent opportunity and
Gabby Machell, chief executive, Westminster levelling up for people who find themselves at the bottom of the social pile.
Society
Sue Pemberton, chief executive, Integrate Child trust funds were introduced in 2005. Between 2005 and 2011, £500 was paid
Lynne Tooze, independent sexual violence into an account for every child born since 2002 in the UK. Parents could add to this. The
adviser, Respond idea was that each child would be given a financial leg-up into adulthood at 18.
Rosemary Trustam
Sally Warren, managing director, Paradigm Not if they have a learning disability. Tens of thousands of young people are being
denied access to their own funds because they are deemed to lack capacity.
Printed by Their parents cannot withdraw the money on their behalf because the young people
Character Graphics, Taunton,
Tel 01823 279008 are now adults. The only way to get hold of the money is through filling out enormous
forms and paying court and GP fees – which will eat up most of the funds.
© CL Initiatives Ltd 2020 You could not give a stronger message to a group of people that they are worth less
Registered charity no 1141176
Company registered in England no 7530680 than others if you tried. This scandal must be rectified. These young people must get
the money to which they are entitled and this magazine will campaign until they do.

Simon Jarrett
Editor

www.cl-initiatives.co.uk Community Living Vol 34 No 2 | Winter 2021 3