Use these resources and tools to improve care for people with diabetes and a learning disability.
A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities. People with a learning disability tend to take longer to learn and may need support to develop new skills, understand complicated information and interact with other people.
Identifying people with a learning disability and diabetes
- Why is improving care for people with a learning disability important? Fact sheet 1 (PDF, 112KB)
- Do you know who needs reasonable adjustments? Identifying people with a learning disability and diabetes. Fact sheet 2 (PDF, 104KB)
- Identifying people with a learning disability: an advanced search for general practice, British Journal of General Practice
- Increasing the number of people on the learning disability register, Royal College of General Practitioners (PDF, 84KB)
- Get checked out health resources, Your health matters
Making reasonable adjustments
- How to: make reasonable adjustments to diabetes care for adults with a learning disability, Diabetes UK (2018) (PDF, 152KB)
- NHS RightCare Pathway: Diabetes, Reasonable adjustments for people with a learning disability who have diabetes
- Improving the care of people with diabetes and a learning disability. Fact sheet 3 (PDF, 116KB)
- Real-D project training video modules
Communicating with people with a learning disability and their supporters
- Top tips for talking to people with a learning disability about diabetes (PDF, 19.5MB)
- Your guide to communicating with people with a learning disability, Mencap
Easy read resources for people with a learning disability and their supporters
Health checks and the learning disability register
- Information about joining your GPs learning disability register which can help you get good health care
- Don't miss out - annual health checks easy read guide, Mencap
- A free NHS health check to keep you well, easy read version, Public Health England (PDF, 996KB)
- Health check resources, Your health matters
- BDA - Eating, drinking, and ageing well
General diabetes information
- Why diabetes health check-ups matter - easy read (Diabetes UK).
- What do I need to know about diabetes? - easy read (University of Leeds with support from Diabetes UK)
- What to do when you have type 2 diabetes - an easy read guide (PDF, 3MB)
- Diabetes care alphabet strategy, WidgitHealth
- ‘Getting on with Type 1 Diabetes’ and ‘Getting on with Type 2 diabetes’ available from Books Beyond Words
- See a full list of easy read guides about diabetes on the Disability Learning Service in Leeds website.
- See a full list of easy read guides about prediabetes on the Disability Learning Service in Leeds website.
Footcare, dental care, blood tests and diabetic eye checks (retinal screening)*
- Keeping your feet happy, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (PDF, 720KB)
- Healthy teeth, WidgitHealth (PDF, 1.39MB)
- Having a blood test, WidgitHealth (PDF, 1.05MB)
- Diabetes and your eyes, SeeAbility (PDF, 5.90MB)
- Diabetic eye screening, SeeAbility (PDF, 6.42MB)
- Diabetic eye screening, Public Health England (3.4 MB)
- Eye screening for women with diabetes in pregnancy, (PDF, 254 KB)
Further resources for diet and exercise
- Managing weight with a learning disability - NHS website
Includes information on exercise.
Easy Read information about Coronavirus (Covid-19)
- Resources from Mencap
- Resources from Get Checked Out
- An Easy-Read Guide to the Covid-19 Booster Vaccine from the UK Government (PDF)
Training and information resources for commissioners and practitioners
- NEW: A six week, reasonably adjusted structured education course for people with a learning disability and autistic people with type 2 diabetes (developed by the North East and Cumbria Learning Disability Network with their partners), Youtube website
- Planning services for people with diabetes and a learning disability. Fact sheet 4 (PDF, 96KB)
- Information graphics to help communicate inequalities experienced by people with diabetes and a learning disability, University of Leeds (PDF, 1MB)
- Small changes, big difference, University of Leeds and The Health Foundation, YouTube website
