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LDW, is taking place between the 20th and 26th of June. This year, Mencap have taken the opportunity to launch a three year campaign against hate crime,

According to the Mencap website, "Stand by me will challenge the police, the criminal justice system and the courts to end hate crime against people with a learning disability."

To coincide with the campaign's launch, a report has been released by Mencap into how 14 UK police services deal with learning disability hate crime. Over all, the report found that police officers lacked training in hate crime and forces lacked procedures for tackling disability-related crimes in particular, rarely considering specific impairments.

As a result of the report, the Stand by me campaign is urging every police force in the UK to sign up to a ten point plan, or what they're calling which Mencap hopes will make a "huge difference for the victims of disability hate crime".

Awareness of learning disability hate crime is also being raised at local level this week with numerous taking place around the UK, including street campaigning, a parliamentary reception, stands at festivals and even a March in London this Sunday. Mencap wants learning disabled people who have experienced this kind of crime, to speak out and tell their stories.

The irrepressible learning disabled punk band, , have even released a single to mark Learning Disability Week 2011. It's a cover of That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings. The lyrics have been modified to reflect the verbal abuse and name-calling that people with learning difficulties regularly face. Using their trademark chalenging shoutyness, they belt out the chorus at top volume:

"They call me 'crip', they call me 'retard', they call me 'spaz', they call me 'special', that's not my name, that's not my name, that's not my name, that's not my name."

You can listen to the entire track and read the lyrics on

Who knows, it might even become the war cry for Mencap's 'Stand by me' campaign.