This week is Learning Disability Week.
The theme for 2026 is “Do you see me?” It is a simple but searching question, and one that should give all of us pause.
For CSAN, this speaks directly to the heart of Catholic Social Teaching. Every person is made in the image and likeness of God. Every person has an equal and immeasurable dignity. Every person deserves to be seen, heard, included and valued.
And yet, too many people with a learning disability continue to face barriers in work, healthcare, housing, friendship, community life and full participation in society.
@mencap_charity notes that only 26.7% of adults with a learning disability are in employment, despite 86% of unemployed people with a learning disability wanting a paid job. They also highlight that 1 in 3 people with a learning disability spend less than one hour outside their home on a typical Saturday.
Those figures should trouble us. They remind us that inclusion cannot simply be a word we use. It has to be something we build, patiently and practically, in our workplaces, parishes, charities, services and communities.
This Learning Disability Week, we give thanks for the gifts, voices and leadership of people with a learning disability, and recommit ourselves to building a society where every person is recognised, welcomed and able to flourish.
Learn more at Mencap's website:
mencap.org.uk/learningdisabi…
#LearningDisabilityWeek #DoYouSeeMe #CatholicSocialTeaching #HumanDignity #Inclusion #SocialJustice