Scots with learning disabilities are urging the public to get to know them in a bid to overcome widespread bullying

Scots with learning disabilities are calling on people in their communities to get to know them and put a stop to bullying.

The Get to Know Us events series is inviting people across Scotland to get to know their neighbours with learning disabilities after research from Enable Scotland found that fewer than a third of Scots with learning disabilities can name a friend.

Bullying of people with learning disabilities is still widespread in schools, colleges and workplaces, according to the charity. It has found nine in 10 Scots with a learning disability has experienced bullying.

Kirsty Kennedy is a Change Champion for Enable Scotland and actively involved in the #BetheChange campaign to combat bullying.

She said: “I had bullying experiences from the day I started school to the day I left. A bully even followed me to college. I got pushed down some stairs, I got my hair burnt. I left the college a week before my 17th birthday because it was either I leave or I’d have done something bad to myself.”

One of the main pillars of the Be the Change campaign (see video below) is encouraging the public to get to know people who have learning disabilities.

During Learning Disability Week (14-20 May 2018), Get to Know Us events are being held in Renfrew, Elgin, Oban, Dundee, Arbroath, Glenrothes, Inverness and Kirkintillloch.

Theresa Shearer, chief executive of Enable Scotland, said: “This year, to mark Learning Disability Week, we are getting out into the community and breaking down the barriers that our members and the people we support tell us still exist. One of the biggest barriers is loneliness and isolation, made worse by lack of understanding of learning disability.

“We want to engage with communities and individuals to show them that people who have learning disabilities are just that – people. More than that, they are neighbours, colleagues, family members and friends. They have hopes and ambitions, a sense of humour and the same rights as everyone else to be a full part of the local community.”

After leaving college, Kirsty started volunteering with the Food Train in her local community and has seen her confidence soar.

She said: “I’ve been volunteering for Food Train for just over four years, I’ve almost been three years driving a car and that helps me with Food Train because I’m now officially one of the drivers for the vans. I feel like I’m getting more responsibility with the Food Train.

“I like the fact that I can take the family out and we can go on nice day out, and I say to myself, they can’t hurt me anymore. Everything’s a positive now, no more negatives.”

Getting to Know Us events a running throughout learning disability week and later in the month.