Letter from people with Learning Disabilities

Wendy Perez is looking for 100 people with learning disabilities who want to sign her letter to the Prime Minister.

Action | 24.09.15

Wendy Perez is a woman with learning disabilities who wants to see things change. She has drafted this letter to the UK Prime Minister David Cameron to say how she feels things are getting worse for people with learning disabilities. She wants 100 people with learning disabilities to sign her letter with her before she sends it to the Prime Minister.

Dear Prime Minister

We are writing to you as people with learning disabilities.

For many years now we have been campaigning and trying to make things better. But in the last few years it feels like things have gone backwards.

There used to be a lot of hope; now it feels like the hope is gone and we’ve gone back to square one.

There is less and less self-advocacy for people with learning disabilities. There have been deep cuts to good community services, but money continues to be wasted on institutions and care homes. There have been big cuts to benefits and changes to the benefit system that make it harder for us to live.

Government talks to the charities, but it doesn’t talk to the people who are really hit by these policies - self-advocates and families.

When Government does talk about people with disabilities it always seems negative - as if we are not really people. We’re treated as scroungers and as people who just take. But we are all people who give more than we take.

In the recent election people with learning disabilities were not mentioned in any of the big TV debates. It feels like we’re a forgotten people.

We want to work with your Government to build a better society for everyone.

We would like to meet with you to talk about how to begin this.

Yours sincerely

Wendy Perez
See Me as Me and Fellow of The Centre for Welfare Reform

If you have a learning disability and would like to add your name to this letter please contact Wendy by email and send her:

1. Your name

2. The name of any group or organisation you are part of

3. A photograph which we will publish with the final letter

Everybody who signs the letter will be invited to the meeting with the Prime Minister - if he agrees to meet us.