The Men of Atalissa

Services for adults with learning difficulties have been decimated by austerity driven cuts and the introduction of charges. A Mencap report in 2012 found that one in four adults with a learning disability are stuck at home due to cuts to day services across England, leading its Chief Executive to express concern that 'progress towards greater participation of disabled people in the community and mainstream society risks being undone by a failing system that has long been ignored and is now creaking under the pressure of increased demand and budget cuts’. A powerful New York Times video documentary ‘The Men of Atalissa’ - about a community of men with learning disabilities in Iowa - highlights the danger of abuse and exploitation when social services provision is inadequate.