The LeDeR report for 2023, published just yesterday, shows that people with learning disabilities and autistic people are still dying far too young – on average 20 years earlier than other people.
Other key findings from the report:
4 in 10 deaths were avoidable – double the rate of people without a learning disability.
1 in 3 people did not get the usual treatment for their condition or symptoms.
2 in 5 people waited too long for tests.
People with learning disabilities often develop diabetes earlier and are more likely to get bowel cancer younger.
Having a learning disability nurse in hospital made a real difference, with people receiving better care and reasonable adjustments.
Learning Disability England representative body members have responded to findings of the report:
Clear, accessible communication is important for everyone when using health and care services.
As Gary Bourlet, Self-advocate and Membership and Engagement Lead says:
“Everyone with learning disability should be able to understand what is being said, by doing this it empowers us and gives us independence.”
For people with learning disabilities, autism, sensory impairments, or communication needs, having information in the right format can make a big difference to how they understand and manage their health and care.
To try and help with this, there is a set of rules called the Accessible Information Standard (AIS).
This standard is used by NHS and adult social care services in England.
Gary Bourlet and Rachael Hall from Learning Disability England, attended Festibility last month, ‘Kent’s best accessible Music Festival’, to spread the Good Lives word and encourage others to join the movement. They share how it went in this latest blog…
FestAbility is more than just a music festival – it’s a celebration of joy, inclusion and community.
Held in Kent and set up by two incredible family members, Debs and Vanessa, FestAbility is designed to be fully accessible and welcoming for disabled people of all ages.
Rep Body Member, Kumudu and Membership and Engagement Lead, Amanda went to the Open University for the SHLD conference to run the Good Lives Photobooth. Here they share how it went…
Kumudu and Amanda went to the Social History of Learning Disability Conference 2025 to learn from others and share the Good Lives framework.
We were so pleased to be part of such a brilliant programme which opened our minds to the many different ways that people with Learning Disabilities are reclaiming and retelling their histories.
On 4th June, Learning Disability England took part in a Parliamentary Reception hosted by the Adult Social Care All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).
The APPG is a cross party group of Parliamentarians, with an interest in social care, supported by a working group of organisations, including Learning Disability England, and a lived experience advisory group.
The Good Lives Series – Communication and Staying Connected
This week Learning Disability England is spotlighting Chapter 2 of the Good Lives Framework ‘Communication and Staying Connected’ and good practice in this area.
Last week Nicholas, Ramandeep, Jahan and Habib from the Race Equality Foundation, and Sam from Learning Disability England led a session at NHS ConfedExpo 2025, a leading health and care conference ran by the NHS.
Their session was all about tackling the health inequalities of minoritised ethnic people with a learning disability.
