A GUIDE is being launched by a group of adults with learning disabilities in Glasgow to help their families provide the support they need in order to have and maintain romantic relationships.
Produced by the members of The Life I Want public social partnership, ‘My Relationship… My Choice…’ aims to help parents and carers provide the right support and guidance about love, sex and relationships.
John Paul Moffat, who chairs the relationships group that put the leaflet together, says: “Relationships are a central feature of every human life and we all have many different relationships – family, friends, neighbours, colleagues and romantic partners.
“Often, there is an assumption that, as people with learning disabilities, we are somehow different and don’t want or need loving relationships. That’s just not true – we need love and friendship just like everyone else.”
The leaflet was the brainchild of Kim Murphy, a member of the group who recently got engaged.
Kim says: “What we want to say to parents and care staff in this leaflet is ‘It’s your job to help me understand about sex and relationships and how to be safe… and then it’s MY choice to decide if I want a relationship’.”
‘My Relationship… My Choice…’ will be launched by the group at Glasgow’s Barrowfield Centre on Tuesday 22nd January.
The keynote speaker at the launch event will be Dr Sam Smith, founder and chief executive of C-Change Scotland who writes and campaigns on issues of human rights, equality and social justice.
Dr Smith says: “Most of the important things in life are things you cannot buy, such as love and friendship. It is fitting that, having just celebrated 70 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Scotland continues to lead the way in ensuring all citizens have the opportunity to exercise the full range of human rights. This leaflet makes an important contribution.”
The Life I Want brings together members of the learning disabled community and a variety of local organisations to look at ways of developing better support for people with a learning disability and the make sure that people have real choice and support in all areas of their lives.
For further information or to request a copy of the guide, please call Values Into Action Scotland on 0141 212 3395.
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Contact: Lesley Miller
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