A learning disability affects the way a person understands information and how they communicate; people with a learning disability can have difficulty in learning new skills, coping independently and with everyday activities, such as household tasks, socialising or managing money.
A learning disability can be mild, moderate or severe but in all cases a learning disability affects someone for their whole life.
Mencap, the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers, provides clear information about what a learning disability is, learning disability and conditions, and research and statistics about learning disability issues.
We would also recommend reading the FAQs about learning disabilities from the British Institute of Learning Disabilities and visiting the Learning Disability England website.