United Kingdom

In Great Britain, the concept of Shared Lives has become increasingly popular. Shared Lives is a form of support and accommodation for adults with special needs in which qualified individuals and families open their homes to assist people with disabilities.

In the wake of the British general elections, the five biggest political parties in the UK have published accessible versions of their main standpoints. They have been created with the assistance of Mencap, to make people with intellectual disabilities aware of what political choices there are and to include them within the election process.

With its latest research, ‘Premature Deaths of People with Learning Disabilities: Progress Update,’ the British Department of Health addresses the current challenges and possible solutions to unequal care leading to higher mortality rates amongst people with intellectual disabilities.

23% of people with disabilities living in the UK regularly feel lonely. This is the conclusion of a recent survey conducted by ‘Sense’, a British charity supporting deaf-blind people. As a result of this, the organization created a campaign called ‘We All Need Friends’.

With the British General Election coming up in May, political party leaders David Cameron, Nick Clegg and David Miliband have pledged to pay more attention to the voice and needs of the 1.4 million people with an intellectual disability in the UK.

Inclusion Europe member Mencap has launched a touching Valentine's Day video, featuring couples with and without intellectual disabilities talking about their relationships and plans for the future.

The United Kingdom Ministry of Justice made a major mistake when trying to explain the court system to people with intellectual disabilities and to non-native speakers.

The year 2014 saw 574 disability hate crime cases recorded in the UK, in contrast to the 183 cases recorded in 2007/2008, the years in which the offence was introduced. The statistics were published by Crown Prosecution Service (CSP), the principal prosecuting authority for England and Wales.

English health authorities issued a report 26 November on the use of institutional facilities to house people with intellectual disabilities across England.

The UK Government’s legal aid reforms have come under heavy criticism from a senior judge this week after it was revealed that a couple with intellectual disabilities were not able to claim financial assistance supporting legal costs.