ABSTRACT
Modern service development has emphasised the right of people with learning disabilities to be present in, and make full use of, their community. In supporting this, services are learning to become less intrusive and less visible. The chapter identifies the vulnerability of learning-disabled people to crime and exploitation - a phenomenon that is underrecognised. A framework was offered for enhancing the public safety of people with learning disabilities. Learning-disabled people will often share neighbourhoods with people who are themselves living in poverty, with little to hope for and subject to the stresses of life in an increasingly competitive society. Improving the safety of learning-disabled people in public requires four sets of actions. These are: Assess and manage risk, Enhance community supports, Gain the cooperation of agencies concerned with law enforcement and public safety and enhance the knowledge and skills of learning-disabled people.
