A learning disability affects the way a person understands information and how they communicate. Around 1.5m people in the UK have one. This means they can have difficulty:  

• understanding new or complex information
• learning new skills 
• coping independently

A learning disability can be mild, moderate or severe. Some people with a mild learning disability can talk easily and look after themselves, but take a bit longer than usual to learn new skills.

A learning disability is not the same as a learning difficulty or mental illness