Our Letter to the Guardian newspaper, society section

We are Chief Executives of five leading learning disability charities.

We think the government's green paper 'Independence, Well-being and Choice' is good.

The paper means that people can make real and meaningful choices about the way they live their lives

Direct Payments will help people to make choices.

We need to make sure people with learning disabilities are equal citizens.

The report called, 'Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People' writes that disabled people should have full opportunities and choices by 2025.

For people to be equal, we often need to support them to do this.

We need to change the benefits system.

We need to support employers too.

We hope the green paper will mean that everyone can work together.

Signed by

• Lord Victor Adebowale CBE, Chief Executive, Turning Point
• Brian Perowne CBE,Chief Executive, HFT
• Su Sayer OBE, Chief Executive, United Response
• Keith Smith, Chief Executive, British Institute for Learning Disability (BILD)
• Jo Williams CBE, Chief Executive, Mencap