New statistics reveal that 3 in 4 people in the UK cannot give an accurate example of what a learning disability is.
A new survey conducted by Mencap asked 1,600 people for examples of a learning disability, with only 9% replying with accurate answers.
This highlights the high levels of confusion about what a learning disability is, despite the 1.5 million people with a learning disability living in the UK. When Mencap looked further into people’s understanding, they found 6% thought blindness was a learning disability, with 7% thinking deafness, and 30% dyslexia.
To investigate further, Mencap also asked 103 Members of Parliament
When questioned, MPs showed less understanding of the phrase ‘learning disability’ than the general public, with 74% giving wrong answers. However, MPs reported similar responses to the general public, with the most common answer given being dyslexia, which is not a learning disability.
In response to these findings, Mencap has released a new manifesto, which gives clear definitions of learning disabilities. This they hope will improve public knowledge of ‘learning disabilities’.