Page 3 - Community Living Magazine 34-3

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It took a lethal pandemic to get

Community LIving
routine injustice in the headlines

ISSN 0951-9815
Volume 34, no 3, spring 2021 he coronavirus pandemic has brought to public attention the longstanding health
inequalities and injustices experienced by people with learning disabilities in the UK.
Published by T These injustices have always existed – inconsistent application of do not
CL Initiatives Ltd
Link-Ability, Conway House, Ackhurst Business resuscitate notices, preventable deaths in hospitals, high mortality and morbidity rates,
Park, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 1NY greater vulnerability to infectious and other diseases, arbitrary institutional detention.
Our article comparing the Spanish flu and coronavirus pandemics demonstrates just
 www.cl-initiatives.co.uk
 clienquiries@outlook.com how enduring these problems are (pages 16-17). The latter, however, has drawn back
t @CommLivingmag_ the curtain on these wrongs and focused a harsh, unblinking spotlight on them.
f www.facebook.com/ Just as the public have become more aware of the essential nature of previously
CommunityLivingMagazine
 01257 241899 undervalued, underpaid workers such as supermarket staff, carers and cleaners, so they
have become aware of those at the sharpest end of society’s injustices and neglect.
Editor People with learning disabilities have occupied the headlines of mainstream media in
Simon Jarrett, simonjarrett1@outlook.com
a way rarely seen before. Stories have covered from how lockdown has affected them to
Publisher and subscription enquiries their alarmingly high death rates and exclusion from vaccine prioritisation. All this was
Jo Adshead, Link-Ability (address as above), predictable to people with learning disabilities, their families and supporters but came
clienquiries@outlook.com
as a shock to many others.
Production editor and designer Stephen Unwin’s
Christy Lawrance, www.clcomms.com indictment of the many Just as the public have become aware of
Research editor intellectuals who have the essential nature of undervalued,
Julie Ridley, reader in social policy and waged a war against people
practice, University of Central Lancashire with learning disabilities in underpaid workers, so they have become

Contributors the past and today explains aware of those at the sharpest end of
Photographs and interviews: Seán Kelly, why such injustices persist
www.seankellyphotos.com (pages 12-13). society’s injustices and neglect
Illustrator: Robin Meader, robinmeaderartist@
gmail.com, https://tinyurl.com/robinmeader We have reached what
Legal: Belinda Schwehr LLM, we might call “a moment”.
legal framework trainer and consultant, Our article on medical ethics calls on healthcare professionals to form a coalition with
Care and Health Law, belinda@
careandhealthlaw.com like-minded people outside medicine to fight these injustices (pages 25-27).
Welfare rights: Charlie Callanan Hundreds of nurses, doctors and other clinicians spoke out against the exclusion of
Arts: Tracey Harding people with learning disabilities from vaccine prioritisation. This support and
History: Susanna Shapland
Columnists: Simon Duffy, director, Centre for commitment is needed to challenge health inequalities that continue – they cannot be
Welfare Reform; Jan Walmsley, independent quietly forgotten once the fight against the pandemic is finally over.
researcher; Sara Pickard, disabled people’s We need a campaign where clinicians ally with people with learning disabilities to
employment champion, Welsh Government;
Suzanne Gale, social care consultant bring about irrevocable change in the NHS, where do not resuscitate notices are no
longer applied, admission to abusive assessment and treatment units is banned, and
Editorial Board people with learning disabilities receive treatment on the same basis as everyone else.
Jo Adshead, chief executive, Linkability
Helen Atherton, lecturer in nursing, University
of Leeds Farewell to Rose Trustam
Noelle Blackman, chief executive, Respond In December, we said farewell to our publisher Rose Trustam, who died after a long
Jo Clare, former chief executive, Three Cs
John Crawford, chief executive, Three Cs illness. Her obituary is on page 10.
Debbie Forde, senior lecturer, School of Social In the history of this magazine, Rose is a giant figure. She rescued it from looming
Work, University of Central Lancashire financial collapse some years ago then applied her unique combination of energy,
Isabelle Garnett
Simon Jarrett devotion and sheer doggedness to ensure its growth as an important voice in the
Gill Levy campaign for equal citizenship for people with learning disabilities.
Gabby Machell, chief executive, Westminster Her contribution was always bigger, however, than this magazine. A relentless
Society
Sue Pemberton, chief executive, Integrate campaigner at home in Lancashire and across the UK, Rose took no prisoners.
She rightly saw the marginalisation of people with learning disabilities in their society
Lynne Tooze, independent sexual violence and their communities as a shameful affront to human rights and dignity, and would
adviser, Respond
Cover images: Bazj/Wikimedia Commons; US Navy Character Graphics, Taunton, with learning disabilities and their families knew Rose would always fight their corner.
Sally Warren, managing director, Paradigm
never back down against any person or organisation who perpetuated this exclusion.
Her fighting spirit inspired us all. Her numerous friends, colleagues and acquaintances
Printed by
Tel 01823 279008
We will honour her legacy, and intend to continue fighting just as hard as she did.
Our new publisher is Jo Adshead, who knew Rose for many years. Jo brings the same
© CL Initiatives Ltd 2021
Registered charity no 1141176
commitment to the rights of people with learning disabilities as Rose. Thanks to her
Company registered in England no 7530680
enormous effort to ensure the smooth continuation of the magazine, we can remain
focused on our primary purpose – the fight for equality.
Editor

www.cl-initiatives.co.uk Simon Jarrett Community Living Vol 34 No 3 | Spring 2021 3