A petition calling on the Government to put a stop to the detention of people with autism and learning disabilities in Assessment and Treatment Units (ATUs), needs 100,000 signatures to be debated in Parliament.

Individuals with a learning disability or autism are supposed to be discharged from such units within 18 months into community-based care. In practice however, the average stay is more than five-and-a-half years.

Practices in ATUs includes the use of medication to sedate individuals, seclusion in padded cells, and physical face-down ‘prone restraint’.

David Isaac, the Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said: “The current in-patient care system for people with learning disabilities has led to some horrific situations at a number of ATUs where people’s human rights are being disregarded.”

So far, the petition has received nearly 13,000 signatures, however  this is just a fraction of the number that is needed to reach the 100,000 mark. Please join us in signing the petition now and share it through Social Media to help spread the word and get this very important topic discussed in Parliament.

Click here to sign now and help to make a difference.