New National Lottery funded research project will look at The right to a Relationship

The Right to a Relationship research project will explore how we can address the barriers that people with learning disabilities face in developing and sustaining sexual relationships. Funding has been awarded from the DRILL (Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning) programme, a five year scheme launched in 2015 led by disabled people and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.

The NDTi research team will be working alongside partner organisation ‘My Life My Choice’ (MLMC) to build on their existing work led by people with Learning Disabilities.

Project Lead, Anna Marriott explained the importance of the project saying

“The right to marry and have children are enshrined in the Human Rights Act, but people with learning disabilities still face barriers to developing relationships, including attitudes, lack of information and limited opportunities to meet people. Therefore, we are delighted to receive this funding to explore how we overcome such barriers and support people with learning disabilities to develop and sustain sexual relationships.”

Launched in 2015, the DRILL programme is fully funded by the Big Lottery Fund and delivered by Disability Rights UK, Disability Action Northern Ireland, Inclusion Scotland and Disability Wales. DRILL is funding more than 30 research and pilot projects over a 5 year period, all led by disabled people.