Alearning disability is not a mental illness or a learning difficulty condition such as autism or dyslexia. Instead it is a disability that affects people who experience life-long problems in learning and communicating because of the way their brain developed around the time of birth. More than 200,000 people are estimated to have moderate or severe learning disabilities in the UK.
In this article, John Williams explores, through a discussion of the Special Olympics, some of the issues surrounding learning disabilities. He cites research showing how few people have a knowledge and understanding of what a learning disability actually is, and then goes on to introduce the debate about whether holding events such as the Special Olympics helps or hinders the cause of those with a learning disability. This is an area touching on both health and stratification that is seldom addressed by students when writing exam answers on such issues, and it is therefore of particular benefit to students of those topics. It should also be of interest to all students of sociology.
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