I am a mother to a son with a learning disability, carrying a painful past of witnessing the inside of a neglectful hospital full of intellectually and physically disabled children. As someone directly affected by this issue, I am incited to demand immediate action.

There is a critical need for robust legislation to cease the ongoing abuse of learning-disabled individuals inside residential institutions. These individuals, often among the most vulnerable, deserve protection and provision of dignified, human-centric care. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to their plight.

Furthermore, it is integral to provide well-trained assistants within these institutions. Current negligence is a direct outcome of insufficiently equipped care staff. It has been found that poorly trained staff can add to the stress and anxiety of learning-disabled individuals, exacerbating existing challenges (American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities).

Therefore, we urgently mandate stricter laws, protective measures, and better training for support staff. The state of learning-disabled individuals' care needs radical improvement; we owe it to them and to our society. Please sign this urgent petition and lend your voice to protecting some of our most vulnerable.