A DETERMINED Rugby man who has Down’s syndrome will walk from his hometown to Coventry to raise awareness of the barriers people with learning disabilities face in accessing healthcare.
TV and film actor Rishard Beckett will take on the 16-mile canal route walk on Thursday (September 25) alongside health workers from local charity Grapevine, and his fellow members of their ‘H Team’ who educate peers and professionals on living longer, healthier lives.
He hopes to spread awareness of the findings of a much-delayed report entitled Learning from Lives and Deaths of People with a Learning Disability and Autistic People (LeDaR), which found that people with a learning disability die 19.5 years younger than the general population, and are almost twice as likely to die from an avoidable cause.
Rishard, who has appeared in TV shows No Offence and Doctors, said: “I want to show people my journey, taking on barriers we are facing, for anyone that can’t.
“I’ve been inspired by other athletes and TV personalities that have taken on challenges like this – but to do it in a way that speaks up for other people.”
Rishard, who trains at David Lloyd Gym in Rugby early each morning, wants to see as many people as possible supporting his journey and spreading the message that people with learning disabilities deserve the same level of healthcare as everyone else.
He said: “People with learning disabilities are twice as likely to die from an avoidable death. That is a death that could have been prevented, perhaps by an annual health check. But the targets for these checks have now been scrapped.
“We’re in the year 2025 and we are seeing disabled people die from constipation. This cannot continue.
“The 2023 LeDeR report has just been released over a year late. Our lives are not seen as a priority and by delaying this report and its data, our deaths are also not a priority.
“These people are not numbers. They are human beings with whole lives, passions and people who love them.
“They’re people who could still be alive and standing with us now. Something needs to change.”
Rishard’s acting training and experience will come in handy as the walk incorporates dramatic performances to drive home his message, taking place at Lime Farm Marina in Rugby (8.40am), between Bridge 38 and Brinklow Castle (9.35am), at Brinklow swing bridge (11.05am), Ansty (12.40pm), The Greyhound Pub in Coventry (2.30pm), and Coventry Canal Basin (4.30pm).
