People with learning disabilities are calling for better services and facilities in York.

They want improved and more flexible daytime activities, easier-to-use public transport, housing which meets individual needs and better choice of paid work opportunities.

An organisation called Vision Of Life, launched to represent people with learning disabilities in the city, held a conference in York in the summer, attended by 70 people, to discuss ways in which services and facilities could be improved.

Now founder Martin Taylor and fellow committee member Nicholas Roberts have visited the Lord Mayor, Councillor Peter Vaughan, to present City of York Council with a report outlining the conference's conclusions.

It calls for:

l A review of social services transport to day services to meet individual needs, to avoid unnecessarily long journeys, and the monitoring of the quality and quantity of public transport for people with disabilities where City of York Council has control or influence

A review of council policies concerning the harassment and bullying of people with disabilities

A more user-friendly complaints procedure for people with a learning disability.

The report also says: "City of York Council need to be seen to be taking people with a learning disability seriously. Ways to address this may include acknowledging letters within a reasonable time, ie within seven working days, employing people with a learning disability as consultants and including people with a learning disability in meetings."

A council spokesman said the authority had launched a major consultation on how to help children with special educational needs.

"The consultation will seek to develop how special schools, mainstream schools and support services work together with parents and children.

"We want people to get involved in this debate and welcome the Vision Of Life report, which will be taken on board when we review everybody's contribution to this key debate."

Anyone wanting to get involved with Vision Of Life should write to PO Box 466, York Y023 1ZN.

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