I was so excited to see George Webster, Tommy Jessop, Ellie Goldstein, Kassie Mundhenk, Zack Gottsagen and Madeline Stuart on the front cover of your Saturday magazine (27 November) and even more so to read the piece. I have a learning disability and seeing people like me, whether that’s actors with Down’s syndrome or people on the telly with a learning disability, I feel so proud.
There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK, and we should be represented in all aspects of life. It’s so important to people with a learning disability that we’re part and parcel of society, and it makes a difference to others too.
I work for the learning disability charity Mencap, and we recently did a survey that showed 42% of people have not seen someone with a learning disability in the media in the last year and 33% said they would feel more comfortable talking to someone with a learning disability if they saw them in the media more often.
Ciara Lawrence
Big Plan engagement lead, Mencap