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People with learning disabilities – COVID-19 Support and Action Group

Wednesday 13 July 2022

Time: 12:30pm-2:30pm https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97471173675 Meeting ID: 974 7117 3675

1. Present

Jenny Andrew Chris Sam

2. Apologies: Charles Vicky

Chris Simone

Olcay Darren

Geraldine Lorena Gary
Ray

Russell Sarah

Kieran Philipa Firielle Kweku

Jenny and Andrew welcomed everyone.

A special welcome was given to Olcay. She thanked everyone for the wishes and cards she received while she was unwell.

She is making a good recovery but is under pressure to sort out new arrangements for support.

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We all shared what we had been up to and how we were. There were lots of comments about the hot weather. Some people liked it and some people were finding it difficult.

3. Discussion: Heidi Crowter court case

The original statement was updated based on discussions in the group and with invited guests over the last six months.

Our revised statement

We support and fight for equality for all, but particularly for people with learning difficulties, disabilities and autism. We want to have the same opportunities to life and living as everyone else.

In July 2021, People First (Self Advocacy) and the Covid-19 Support and Action Group offered its support to the #DownrightDiscrimination campaign and the High Court case, led by Heidi Crowter and others, calling for 'equality in the womb'.

The #DownrightDiscrimination campaign is about removing the clause in the Abortion Act that allows abortions to happen after 24 weeks of pregnancy based on disability. Disabled foetuses can be aborted up to full term.

Over the last year our understanding and discussions about this case have deepened. Many of us have been fighting for our freedom and our right to exist, but we

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believe that we need further debate and open discussions that are led by disabled people.
We need to carefully consider how the rights that we are fighting for has an impact on the rights of others if such a ruling was to be successful.

We are also concerned about some of the supporters of the campaign and their intentions. We have questioned

if it is first and foremost about equality and discrimination against Disabled people, or is it also a platform for the 'anti-abortion' movement and restricting the rights of all women (including Disabled women)? We want to have the opportunity to ask these questions and be involved in the debates.

We support people with learning difficulties, disabilities, and autism to fight for their rights and lead their own campaigns, but recognise that we may not always be able to take an immediate or clear position on behalf of our members.

Our weekly Self Advocate's Support and Action Group are continuing to discuss this and other campaigns.

Our community continues to be discriminated against and are suffering unnecessarily every day.

Chris shared how frustrated he was with the amount of attention and press the Heidi court case was getting when there are a lot of other important and serious issues to be focusing on.

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People are struggling with their benefits, e.g. Personal Independent Payments (PiP), the shortage of Learning Disability Nurses, the social care crisis and other issues such as access to suitable housing and shared ownership.

There was agreement and although we wanted to have further discussions about the issues this has raised (the rights of women, and the discriminatory elements within the current Abortion Law), we said that we would focus on some of these other issues that Chris raised.

4. Future meetings

There are some outstanding requests from visitors to attend.

National Lottery consultant EPIC, was offered a date to

come to hear about how the Leaders with Lived

Experience grant has helped us continue to meet and

discuss issues that are important to us.

27th July offered.

Neil Crowther and James to arrange dates in

September.

Information share

The sixth annual Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) report has been published by King’s College London 14th July, with an easy read version.

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NHS England has also published our fourth annual LeDeR Action from Learning report and easy read version, which describes some of the work being undertaken across the country by the NHS to reduce health inequalities and premature mortality amongst people with a learning disability. There is also

a supporting resources document.

Next meeting:

Wednesday 20th July 2022 12:30pm - 2:30pm

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97471173675

Chris’s Artwork

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