24 September 2026
A group of people who have a learning disability are urging others who have a learning disability to attend annual health checks. It comes as a recent report reveals people with a learning disability have a shorter life expectancy.
The LeDer (Learning from lives and deaths: People with a learning disability and autistic people) 2024 report was published in July 2026. It shows the average age of death for people with a learning disability was 63, significantly younger than the average life expectancy.
The group, who have lived experience, gathered at the Grenfell Club in Redcar to share a video they created that encourages people to have a yearly health check.
The new film is in the style of an iconic scene from Love Actually, in which Andrew Lincoln’s character shares his unrequited love using poster-sized cue cards.
Using this cue-card style, the group draw attention to the latest report findings.
Barry Brown, featured in the video, says that the contents of the LeDeR report makes him feel sad and unhappy. He added that it is “fantastic” to “get the word out there”.
The campaigners want to share three messages with people with learning disabilities:
- Have a yearly health check.
- Have a STOMP medication review if needed.
- See a GP or nurse if you have any worries.
In contrast to its stark opening message, the video culminates in campaigners singing S Club 7’s Reach, with Mica Hoare – one of the group – signing along in Makaton.
The group chose the song, resonating with its message of hope.
The film has been co-created by patients and staff from our trust and Skills for People. The group hope to share the film in the coming weeks.
Emma Cluskey, project worker at Skills for People says:
What has been wonderful and key is that the group have been involved in every part of this. It meant a lot to the group to be able to share their voices on this. From the very start they came up with what they wanted to say, what mattered to them and how they wanted to do it. And what was really important to them was the message of hope. That speaking up together we can make change.
Mica did Makaton signing at the event, as well as on the video. She also does Makaton videos on TikTok. She explains:
It is important to me as when I was quite young I didn’t speak. I use Makaton signing to help me speak more. I am proud of myself. I use singing hands as the basis of Makaton. And it helps me to learn to help people across the world who have the same condition I have.
The group have previously been involved in a project to stop the over-medication of people with a learning disability or autism. The award-winning scheme, called STOMP, aims to challenge “inappropriate or over-prescribing” of antipsychotic medicine.
On Wednesday 23 September, Anne Marie Pearson and Barry Brown, both members of the learning disability group, won the National Lived Experience Awards’ Community and Collaboration Award. This success acknowledges their efforts to make things better for adults with a learning disability.
Mencap has easy read information about the LeDer report.
