Background: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are disproportionally at risk of and impacted by violent victimization. They also face substantial barriers to reporting victimization to the police. One of those barriers is language access. Similarly, communication can also pose challenges for individuals with intellectual…

Protection of those deemed vulnerable has received increasing attention since 2000. This article reports on care staff views of vulnerability using original data from a research study (Parley. "Vulnerability and abuse: an exploration of views of care staff working with people who have learning disabilities," PhD Thesis, 2007) in which care staff…

In recent years there has been a shift to recognise the needs of siblings and a growth in sibling support largely for under 16s. However, siblings will often require support into adulthood as they undertake additional responsibilities from parents in the care or advocacy of their brother or sister. Therefore this project aimed to investigate what…

Research-informed policy and practice is needed for older caregivers of adult sons/daughters with disabilities. These caregivers are often under tremendous stress because of failing health, financial pressures, bereavement and worry about the future of their sons/daughters. Twenty-nine older parents/caregivers of 27 adults with intellectual and/or…

This audit investigated residential staff beliefs around pain thresholds and strategies they adopt to recognise and manage pain in people with learning disabilities across Surrey. A structured interview was constructed to elicit information. Results demonstrated that pain is not being effectively recognised or managed by residential staff in…

This article discusses the findings from a study to assess the impact of corrective eye treatment in adults with a learning disability. The Special Visual Assessment Clinic (SVAC) is an optometry led multi professional service delivered in a Resource Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The study, which included user and carer input in its design,…

Through the use of face-to-face interviews, this article explores residential carers' perceptions and understanding of a physiotherapy service provided to patients with a learning disability, with the aim of highlighting potential areas for improvement in the service. Carers involved in the study reported a good relationship with the…

This article presents the findings of an independent evaluation of a pilot project in Northern Ireland called "Telling it like it is!" (TILII) conducted over a 2 year timeframe (2005-2007). Seven people with a learning disability were recruited and trained as TILII trainers. With the help of a project facilitator, they designed and…