This leaflet discusses fair treatment for adults with learning disabilities. It set out to see if the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) had helped service providers to treat people with learning disabilities fairly

Lerpiniere, Jennifer

Stalker, Kirsten

English

University of Strathclyde Institutional Repository

Strathprints Institutional RepositoryLerpiniere, Jennifer and Stalker, Kirsten (2008) Rights and responsibilities: Fair treatment for adultswith learning disabilities. Guide or manual. University of Strathclyde.Strathprints is designed to allow users to access the research output of the University of Strathclyde.Copyright c© and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authorsand/or other copyright owners. You may not engage in further distribution of the material for anyprofitmaking activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute both the url (http://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/) and the content of this paper for research or study, educational, ornot-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge.Any correspondence concerning this service should be sent to Strathprints administrator:mailto:strathprints@strath.ac.ukhttp://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/Rights and ResponsibilitiesFair Treatment for Adults with Learning DisabilitiesApril 2008Jennifer Lerpiniere and Kirsten StalkerApplied Educational Research Centre, Crawfurd Building, University of Strathclyde, 76 Southbrae Drive, Glasgow G13 1PPThe aims of the studyWe wanted to find out if the DisabilityDiscrimination Act (1995) had helped serviceproviders to treat people with learning disabilitiesfairly. The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) is a lawthat makes it illegal for disabled people to betreated unfairly.To find out about this we talked to: People with Learning Disabilities  Carers of People with Multiple Disabilities Disability Organisations, like the DisabilityRights Commission  Service Providers We asked them:   what they knew about the DisabilityDiscrimination Act (1995) what they knew about disabilitydiscrimination whether people with learning disabilities weretreated the same as everyone elseDisability discrimination means treatingsomeone unfairly because they have a disability.2Service Providers are places such assupermarkets, cafes and museums where people goto get something or do something.What we found outMost people with learning disabilities had heard ofthe Disability Discrimination Act but few knewmuch about it.  Carers seemed to know evenless about the Act.  They didn’t have time tofind out about it because they were so busylooking after their sons or daughters. Some people with learning disabilities knew the Actwas about promoting rights and equality fordisabled people.  Disability organisations told us itwas about treating people fairly and includingthem.  Some service providers thought it was tohelp people have the same access to their serviceas everyone else.  A few service providers knew a lot about theDisability Discrimination Act.  One of these was abowling alley who welcomed customers withlearning disabilities.  They helped people to countscores and find the right bowling balls.What people knew about the Disability DiscriminationAct (1995)3Some carers and most service providers thoughtthe Act was mostly about improving access tobuildings and public places – more for wheelchairusers than people with learningdisabilities.  Not all service providersknew it was about treating peoplefairly in other ways too, likeprinting a menu in bigletters.What people knew about‘discrimination’4Some people with learning disabilities did not knowthe word discrimination.  Others said it meantbeing unfair to disabled people and not treatingpeople with respect. Disability organisations thought that a good serviceprovider would welcome people and ask them tojoin in activities.  A good service provider wouldgive out information without waiting to beasked.  People with learning disabilities from a black andminority ethnic background face ‘doublediscrimination’.  This is when people experienceracial discrimination and disabilitydiscrimination.Service providers knew it was unfair to be rude topeople and to prevent people from doingsomething.  A few knew about using big writing,though they said they didn’t always use big writing.Almost all the service providers would have towork hard to make their service welcoming topeople with learning disabilities. Not very many service providers knew a lot aboutdiscrimination.  Only a very few understood it was aboutpeople not being included in society.  They tried to makethings fair by listening to what people wanted and doingwhat they suggested.  A museum told us that they set uptours by discussing with people what they would like toknow or do when they visit.Are people with learning disabilitesfairly treated?On the whole, people found that staff in places likeshops and sports centres treated them quite well.For example, people told us about staff helpingthem to count their money.  One man told us abouta member of staff who spent time showing himhow to use his mobile phone.  Many people with learning disabilities and carershad also experienced unfair treatment.  A fewpeople had been asked to leave a pub after onedrink or not been served at all.  A bus driver hadrefused to accept one man’s bus pass.  (This manstaged a sit down protest on the spot!) Somecarers said that they did not always get the bestcare for their sons or daughters.  Being treated likethis made most people feel embarrassed, angryand upset.  People told us about staff andother customers who were impatient and rude, such aswhispering about someonewhen theywere leaving.5We were told that some places(like banks) had strict rules thatthey would not change to helppeople with learning disabilities.Information6• the print was too small on things like bustimetables and café menus• there were too many long words oninformation about bank accounts• there were not enough pictures at doctors’surgeries or train stations • 24 hour clocks confused some peopleSome people with learning disabilities always went to the same pub orused the same taxi service because the staff treated them well.  Theydid not know if they would be treated well in other places.People also thought that lots of information was hard to understand: 7People with learning disabilities told us it could bevery hard to stand up for yourself when youhave been unfairly treated.  We asked them to tellus what people should do if they have been treatedunfairly like this.  We got lots of different answers.  • People just had to accept the situation (suchas being asked to leave the pub after onedrink) even though it wasn’t fair. • People should stand up for themselves andprove their innocence, even though they haddone nothing wrong.• People could write a complaint letter or askto talk to the manager.  They could ask asupport worker to help them do this.• They could arrange a meeting to talk to staffand ‘explain what it’s like being ‘disabled’ andgive them ideas about how to provide a betterservice’.Disabilityorganisationssuggested that placeslike social workoffices should betrained about theDisabilityDiscrimination Act sothey could helppeople who had beentreated unfairly.What should people with learningdisabilites do if they are unfairly treated?Rights and ResponsibilitiesFair Treatment for Adults with Learning DisabilitiesMore Copies of the ReportFor more copies of this reportor to listen to a recording of this report please go tohttp://www.strath.ac.uk/eps/centresdivisions/aerc/disabilityThe full report can also be found on this web page.If you need Help or AdviceIf you have been unfairly treated you can contact one of the Equalityand Human Rights Commission helplines below for advice.  0845 604 5510 - Scotland Main Number0845 604 5520 - Scotland Textphone0845 604 6610 - England Main Number0845 604 6620 - England Textphone0845 604 8810 - Wales Main Number0845 604 8820 - Wales TextphoneMany thanks to the Quality Action Group, Stirling,for their comments on this report.Images © Copyright 2006 Photosymbols Ltd. 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Rights and responsibilities: Fair treatment for adults with learning disabilities

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Rights and responsibilities: Fair treatment for adults with learning disabilities

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