Speak Up, Speak Out - challenge the language of hatred

Case study: Neil, Mencap

The language of hatred is in our communities today, and is used to alienate those who are perceived as ‘different’.

Neil was a victim of continual and repeated hate crime, committed against him because of his learning disability.  In this film, produced by Mencap he speaks about the persecution he faced, from name-calling to the vandalism and assault that caused him to leave his home town.

Watch the film

‘I got taunted, my flat vandalised, beaten up on my doorstep, name called – ‘four eyes, retard, spastic’ – the works’.

According to a recent report by Mencap, 90% of people with a learning disability have endured verbal or physical harassment in the UK.  On Holocaust Memorial Day 2012, we must choose to Speak Up, Speak Out to stop the language of hatred that is used against those with learning disabilities.

 

What you can do:

 v commit to never using the words that were used to bully, taunt and alienate Neil from his home

v find out more about the work of Mencap

v find out how those with disabilities were persecuted under the Nazi regime