Disabled and Deaf people are more likely to experience mental health problems, like anxiety and depression.
- Deaf people are twice as likely to suffer from depression as hearing people.[2]
- Around one in three people with chronic physical impairment experiences a mental health problem, compared to one in four in the wider population.[3]
- 23 per cent of disabled people feel lonely most days, rising to 38 per cent for young disabled people.[4]
- Less than 50 per cent of disabled people are in employment, compared to almost 80 per cent of non-disabled people.[5]
- Disabled people are disproportionately more likely to live in a deprived area and are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poor housing.
The London Assembly Health Committee will discuss how housing, unemployment and crime affect the mental wellbeing of disabled and Deaf people in London. Other topics for discussion include barriers to accessing mental health support and the impact of reductions in social care budgets. The guests are:
- Joan Hutton, Head of Adult Social Care, LB Lewisham and representative of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
- Alessandro Storer, Equality Improvement Manager, MIND
- Roger Hewitt, CEO, British Society for Mental Health and Deafness
- Richard Holmes, Regional Campaigns Officer (London), Royal National Institute for Blind People
The meeting will take place on Thursday 12 January at 2:00pm in Committee Room 5 at City Hall (The Queen’s Walk, London SE1).
Media and members of the public are invited to attend. The meeting can also be viewed via webcast.
Follow us @LondonAssembly and take part in the discussion using #AssemblyHealth and #MentalHealth.
Notes to editors
- Full agenda papers
- SignHealth
- Fundamental Facts About Mental Health, 2015, Mental Health Foundation
- Disabled people face being cut off from society, warns national charity, Sense
- Key facts, DLF
- Dr Onkar Sahota AM, Chair of the Health Committee is available for interview. See contact details below.
- London Assembly Health Committee
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Alison Bell on 020 7983 4228. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.