Its hate crime awareness week and here at Stay Up Late we hear all too often, first hand, accounts of disability hate crime. How it can have lasting effect on confidence and self-esteem and ultimately diminishes people’s right to feel welcome and safe in their own community. During this week we hope to aim a spot light on the fact that so many hate crimes are going unreported and attitudes aren’t changing fast enough.
Adults with learning disabilities or autism are 4 times more likely to experience a hate crime compared to those who’s disability effects them physically. The work of Gig Buddies and Stay Up Late aims to challenge the stigma surrounding adults with learning disabilities by creating community connections and calling out outdated perceptions, for example, “people with downs syndrome can’t go clubbing”
RUBBISH – We know very well that many people with downs syndrome and other learning disabilities want to go clubbing or to gigs because we do it all the time! (here is a picture to prove it)
Through building better community support networks and including adults with learning disabilities in all aspects of society we can lay better foundations to tackle the high numbers of hate crimes that many face.
Law makers can legislate but YOU join us at Stay Up Late and help annulate the hate!
Here are our top tips for stopping hate crime.
- Find out what is a hate crime so if you think you have experienced one you can ask for help or help others. https://www.cps.gov.uk/hate-crime
- Report hate crime if you experience it or see it happen to someone else– 83% of people taken to court by the Crown Prosecution Service for hate crime either admitted committing the offence of were found guilty by jury or judge. BUT hate crime is still hugely underreported.
- If safe to do so, then challengepeople who use disrespectful language. It might be politicians, comedians, celebrities, newspapers, the guy that make the coffees, your old aunt Edna and anyone else who is using derogatory language or contributing to negative societal attitudes about adults with learning disabilities.
- Join the Gig Buddies project. Benefits include: Helping to normalise adults with learning disabilities being a part of a mainstream gig culture and a bloomin’ good night out!
- Kindness –Treat others as you would want to be treated. We are all unique and the world would be boring if we weren’t!
If you think you have been effected by hate crime and need some support then victim support can help you https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/crime-info/types-crime/hate-crime 08 08 16 89 111