Lancashire celebrates Learning Disability Week, 15 – 21 June

Lancashire’s libraries will be transformed into a sea of music, dance and colour to mark this year’s National Learning Disability Week.

The celebration takes place between Monday 15 June and Sunday 21 June, and the county council has teamed up with Lancashire Learning Disability Partnership to run events at five libraries.

Details of the events are:
• Lancaster Library, Thursday 18 June, 11am – 3pm : Arts activities and dance and cabaret performance
• Chorley Library, Monday 15 June to Sunday 21 June : Ceramic art exhibition
• Burnley Library, Wednesday 17 June, 1.30pm – 3pm : Drama performance and hate crime awareness workshop
• Fleetwood Library, Monday 15 June, from 2pm : Choir and hate crime awareness workshop
• Skelmersdale Library, Tuesday 16 June, 10am – 12noon : Dance performance and craft workshop
• Great Harwood Library, Wednesday 17 June, 2pm – 4pm : Cheerleaders dance and art session based on the theme of making life better for people with learning disabilities

These activities will highlight the talents of people with learning disabilities and help to make people aware of many of the issues they face every day.

County Councillor Tony Martin, Cabinet member for adult and community services, said: “These events are a way of improving the profile of people with learning disabilities.

“They have so much to contribute to their communities and to employers, yet they can often experience discrimination, hate crime and suffer health inequalities, leading to a life expectancy 16 years less than the rest of the population.

“Fewer than 7% of people with learning disabilities are in paid employment.

“We hope that events like this will help to break down barriers and make a difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities here in Lancashire.”