At the start of Learning Disability Week, Cllr Simon Lee has called on the Health Minister to recognise the impact that isolation and disruption to services has had on people with a learning disability.
The Green Party NI Councillor for Castlereagh South said, "People with learning disabilities have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. They have often felt isolated and the reduction in services has impacted their mental health and well-being."
"It is disappointing that support services for people with learning disabilities have yet to return to what was available pre-pandemic. Support services vanished virtually overnight, which were vitally needed and desperately rely on."
We desperately need to expedite the development of a new regional model for Learning Disability Services and the role played by both statutory and voluntary providers and partners across Northern Ireland. Access to services should not be a postcode lottery for family members and carers."
ENDS