Life expectancy of people with learning disabilities is 15-20 years shorter than average
A report by Prof Michael Marmot from the Institute for Health Equity (see press release for key findings) highlighted the shocking fact that people with learning disabilities will die 15-20 years sooner on average than the general population. He explained that this is not an inevitable consequence of their disability, rather it is a “direct result of a political choice that destines this vulnerable group to experience some of the worst of what society has to offer: low incomes, no work, poor housing, social isolation and loneliness, bullying and abuse”.