Readers of this forum will be very familiar with hate crime.
Hate crime robs people of their confidence, their independence and, sometimes, their lives. Despite the work that has taken place since the tragic deaths of Fiona Pilkington and her daughter 9 years ago, including the Home Office’s recently published ‘Hate Crime Action plan’, new research conducted by Dimensions shows no let-up in the daily abuse faced by people with learning disabilities and autism. Most recent Home Office statistics show a 25% year on year rise in Hate Crime including 2,500 reported Hate Crimes against people with disabilities. Estimates put the real figure at closer to 70,000 hates crimes per year.
For people without a learning disability or autism, the daily horror of hate crime can be hard to imagine. As one of the UK’s largest support providers - working with 3500 people with learning disabilities and autism – Dimensions is inevitably often on the front line of hate crime. Our campaign is founded on a broad-based policy position statement that makes a number of specific, practical recommendations for change.
The campaign, called #ImwithSam and led by Dimensions, is backed by major partners including all the major learning disability and autism self-advocacy organisations, speaking with a single voice and providing a practical blueprint for change comprising 8 principal goals.
Success is about momentum. #ImwithSam has reached almost a million people already. Asking your clients and staff to join the campaign now will help generate the oomph to see the changes through. Thank you.