Understanding Intellectual Disability and Health

About us

Find out more about Intellectual Disability and what we do.

An understanding of the nature of intellectual disability is essential for health care professionals, who are required to support equal access to their services for all disabled people. This website is an ideal learning resource for medical, nursing and other healthcare students. Everyone working in healthcare will find valuable information here, with contributions from a wide range of authors.

Activist historians with learning disabilities – claiming our own history. Wednesday 29th June, 5.30-7.00 pm. Free online event, but registration is essential. Please email k.pettit@bbk.ac.uk .... An exciting and ground-breaking evening where activist historians with learning disabilities talk about their work. People with learning disabilities have been excluded from their own history more than any other group. A new generation of activist historians are working with co-researchers to lay claim to their history, and tell it their way. Speakers include:

Paul Christian and Sue Ledger – the black history of learning disability
My Life My Choice and Lee Humber – participation of people with learning disabilities in World War I
The Antonia Grandoni Project team – Antonia Grandoni’s story: bringing the past into the present
Nathaniel Lawford and Jan Walmsley – finding Grace Eyre and the origins of Shared Lives
Panel presentations followed by audience questions and discussion

Down Syndrome legislation requires the government to publish guidance on the specific needs of people with Down syndrome and how those should be met. This incredible achievement is due to the perseverance of Heidi Crowter, Baroness Sheila Hollins, Dr Liam Fox MP, and other campaigners: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-60955917 and https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-london-61277596…. More information on Down Syndrome Act 2022 and on Mandatory Training in LD and Autism at https://www.herts.ac.uk/intellectualdisability/changing-values

Covid-19 information. This section contains links to resources on Covid-19 for people with intellectual disabilities and their families and carers, and also provides an opportunity for discussion pieces on different aspects of this topic. Please see https://www.herts.ac.uk/intellectualdisability/covid-19-information

Afghanistan crisis: Refugees with learning disabilities are at higher risk. Beyond Words have been preparing a refugee focused story for a while but now, in response to the crisis in Afghanistan, they have published a FREE short resource, to try and help those who need urgent support: please see https://booksbeyondwords.co.uk/afghanistan ..... And now also When the war came – Ukraine https://booksbeyondwords.co.uk/ukraine which is a new short resource to help those fleeing the war to begin to tell their own stories and talk about their feelings. Please see as well https://www.socialconnectedness.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Asylum-Seekers-and-Refugees-with-Intellectual-Disabilities-in-Europe-1-1.pdf

Students’ Contributions. This section provides opportunities for contributions prepared by students and others early in their careers. We are encouraging a variety of topics and formats, including dissertations, essays, poster presentations and other material prepared for external events, as well as various kinds of “pre-articles” which could eventually lead to full articles. Please see https://www.herts.ac.uk/intellectualdisability/students-contributions