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speak up
Your say

Write to Community Living  simonjarrett1@outlook.com f @communityLivingMagazine t @CommLiving Mag_ Letters may be edited

Everyone needs to go out and have fun Meader’s view
after lockdown – so make it happen
As lockdown restrictions ease, we’ve
written to every local authority social care
director to change inflexible support
provision that leaves far too many adults
with a learning disability unable to enjoy
the things they want to do: https://tinyurl.
com/939hfr52
Stay Up Late
@StayUpLateUK, via Twitter

Corporate comment puts institution
into the community
Out and about as a chaplain finding
myself quite cross. A young woman with
learning disabilities is accompanied by a
care worker wearing a t-shirt with a
company logo. She’s “accessing the
community” – care speak for being out.
Way to institutionalise someone within
the community.
Revd Jacqui T
@RevdJacquiT, via Twitter
there’d be riots – the way people with and a half billion quid to lock up innocent
Equality commission needs to put learning disabilities are treated in people. Ten years of those in power saying
pressure on the government… this country. “well it’s difficult”.
“The government will commit to providing Mr Ben The only possible conclusion to draw is
each patient with a date for discharge or, @MadeinBedlam, via Twitter that the state funding abuse and torture
where this is not appropriate, a clear of certain types of disabled people is just
explanation of why and a plan to move … which lets the commission of the hook not important enough to change.
them closer towards being ready for And if it were any other marginalised Somehow, society shrugs and is OK with
discharge into the community” group @EHRC would have done this. Ten years is a long time… the world
(Department of Health and Social Care, something by now has changed so much for us all. But
November 2019). Julie Newcombe imagine how long that 10 years has been
@ehrc why do you still believe them? @TwittleyJules, via Twitter for those locked away in assessment and
Rightful Lives treatment units.
@RightfulLives, via Twitter Ten years after Winterbourne View, here Bendy Girl
are six practical suggestions… @BendyGirl, via Twitter
… we need action not yet more reviews… It’s 10 years since #Winterbourne. The
All people with learning disabilities seem Learning Disability Consortium has … and budgets and power are to blame
to get is review after flippin’ review! published six ways @WelshGovernment #Winterbourne10 – much more than 10
nb can ensure people with learning disabilities years. Over 3,000 people in inpatient units
@nb87120292, via Twitter in residential accommodation are safe and on any given day. As @BendyGirl says, it’s
protected from abuse: https://www.ldw. budgets and power. System tinkering,
… and learning disabled people always org.uk/is-there-a-winterbourne-in-wales/. repeated fail. People collaboratives, not
seem the least important… Learning Disability Wales provider collaboratives, everywhere.
Always at the back of the queue. If this @LDWales, via Twitter Chris Hatton
was any other “marginalised group” @chrishattoncedr, via Twitter
… but little has changed …
It’s been 10 years since #Panorama Parliamentary group will be a voice
Books and tweets exposed the horrific torture of learning I welcome the All Party Parliamentary
disabled people in Winterbourne View – Group for Down syndrome. We need a
Find some recommended reading on 10 years in which so little has changed for voice to speak up for ourselves and make
our website at www.cl-initiatives.co. thousands of disabled people subject to sure we have equal chances in life. We are
uk/book-reviews abuse in the care of and funded by the the only people in the UK where people
Following Community Living on state. Ten lost years. try to end our lives before we are born
Twitter? We have a new handle – it’s Some disabled people have been just because we have Down syndrome.
now @CommLiving Mag_ incarcerated for longer than a decade. Ten Tommy Jessop
years of broken political promises… Three @tommyjessop, via Twitter

6 Vol 34 No 4 | Summer 2021 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk