This week is Learning Disability Week 2011

Today, Monday 20th June, is the beginning of Learning Disability Week 2011.

Every year thousands of people with learning disabilities are victims of Disability Hate Crime but very few ever report it, according to Stop Hate UK and Voice UK.

Indeed, people with learning disabilities are often targeted because they rarely report crime to the police.

This is usually for one or more of the below reasons:

* They are too scared.
* They do not know how or where to report crime or who to report it to.
* They are frightened they won’t be believed.
* They worry they will be picked on again.
* They do not realise they have been victim of a crime.
* They are not sure what a hate crime is.

The recent BBC Panorama documentary "Undercover Care: the Abuse Exposed" highlighted how easy it is to abuse people with learning disabilities – even in places where they are supposed to be well cared for.

Nobody knew about it or listened to them – and without the programme and two whistleblowers people may never have done so.

Voice UK are launching their Listen Louder campaign.

This is calling upon all of us as well as the criminal justice system to listen out for the voices of people with learning disabilities – voices that have been ignored or unheard in the past.

Stop Hate UK uses a "Words into Pictures" leaflet, which is an easy-to-follow guide for people with learning disabilities which explains what Hate Crime is and what they should do if it happens to them.

Voice UK and Stop Hate UK are fully supporting Mencap’s Stand by Me campaign – a three year project to raise awareness and challenge disability hate crime.

Together, these campaigns are aimed at bringing disability hate crime into the open, as well encouraging people with learning disabilities to report incidents so that they can be better protected and the perpetrators brought to justice.

Please donate to Voice UK and Mencap to held take a stand against the evils of disability hate crime.

You can report a hate crime to Stop Hate UK:
*by dialing 0800 138 1625,
*by posting a letter to Stop Hate UK, PO Box 484, LS7 9BZ,
*by texting 07717 989 025
*or by emailing talkATstophateuk.org (Replace at with @).

Those using written text relay need the number 18001 0800 138 1625.

David Congdon, Mencap's head of campaigns and policy, says:

"Recently, three men who tortured a 17 year old with Asperger's syndrome walked away with a sentence of just 80 hours of community service. And in another high-profile case, Fiona Pilkington killed herself and her disabled daughter after police failed to stop the abuse they were subjected to by local youths.

"Cases like these show that hate crime is still not taken seriously enough by the authorities."

Currently, Mencap is looking for people who are willing to share their experiences of hate crime to support the campaign.

If you would like to share your experiences of hate crime, please call Brenda Shalvey on 020 7696 5568 or email brenda.shalveyATmencap.org.uk.Replace at with @.