"People call me stupid. I tried to make friends with my next-door neighbour and they took stuff out of my fridge. When I went to college, people kicked the door and kept pressing the bell. My wife locked herself in the bathroom. They were pinching our stuff. We had to move out – it was a shame because it was a nice flat.”

Peter has suffered abuse wherever he has lived. Each time he is forced to move, while the person abusing him is allowed to stay. “They won't leave me alone. They are bad people,” he says.

A gentle, softly-spoken man, Peter is one of the many adults with learning disabilities or difficulties who find themselves targeted by members of the public who bully and abuse them in a variety of ways. This could be physical, emotional, sexual, financial, or through neglect.

Pushing, kicking, slapping, nipping; name-calling, belittling, ignoring; leaving someone alone, leaving them hungry, thirsty or dirty; touching someone inappropriately or making them look at sexual images; befriending someone then stealing from them.

All are among the types of abuse suffered by adults with learning disabilities, who want nothing more than to go about their daily lives in the same way as others.

“They threw snowballs and eggs at the windows. Me and my sister have got learning disabilities. We had to move out.”

Also from the Bradford district, Mark has suffered years of abuse and been forced to move, when all he wants is a normal life.

Peter and Mark are among a number of people from West Yorkshire who appear in a hard-hitting, emotionally-charged DVD created to raise awareness of so-called ‘hate crime’ against those with learning disabilities.

Launched last year at Ilkley Literature Fringe Festival, it came about following the success of a pilot course held in the Bradford district, at which students documented their own experiences.

This formed part of weekly sessions held at the Open Door Training Group – a partnership between the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) and Bradford District Care Trust (BDCT).

Attended by a group of people with learning disabilities, Open Door uses techniques including role-play and discussion to help those affected by hate and also ‘mate’ crime in which a person pretends to be their friend, but them abuses them in some way.

Specialist tutor Mark Goodwin, of the WEA, says: “Talking about what happens to them can be very cathartic. We talk about their disability, and look at why and how that makes them a target.”

Florence Lowther of Wibsey, attends the sessions. She has not experienced hate crime, but takes part in the group work and appeared in the DVD.

“I got upset when I watched it,” she says. “It is sad to hear what has happened to people.”

Mark hopes the DVD – which has been funded by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service – will help to raise awareness among the public, carers, the police, local authorities and other organisations, to help them recognise disability hate crimes. “Hopefully it will also lead to more prosecutions and fewer crimes being committed.”

“People are very intolerant and don’t respond well to people who are different,” says Jane Bilton of the WEA, whose joint idea it was to produce the DVD, along with Maxine Sharp of BDCT.

Senior support worker with Bradford & District Care Trust Tony Woods adds: “The feedback has been tremendous – really positive. We need to raise awareness across the country and this will help with that.”

If funding is secured, it is hoped that an adapted version aimed at younger audiences, including schoolchildren, will be produced.

It is also being used by BDCT as a training tool. “We are discussing doing presentations to social services,” adds Tony. The probation service have also expressed an interest.

Regional campaign managers at the learning disability charity Mencap now use the DVD to support the charity’s Stand By Me campaign which challenges the police, the criminal justice system and the courts to end hate crime against people with a learning disability within a generation.

Regional campaigns officer Stephen John says that disability hate crime needs to be reported. “It is very scary and can make people afraid to go outside.”

The WEA has produced training packs with the DVD including a tutor guide, meaning that groups such as Open Door can be created in other settings.

“We want to take it out nationally,” says Jane Bilton. “We have produced a pack to enable anyone else to run the course, hopefully in partnership with us.”