The Institute of Psychotherapy and Disability promotes access to psychotherapy for learning disabled children and adults. The IPD promotes good practice – including basic awareness that learning disabled people can make good use of psychotherapy, particularly if practitioners are trained to listen and communicate appropriately and well. In thinking about how important this work is, the current social context is important. The public sector cuts that have been ongoing now for several years have had a specific impact on disabled people and on attitudes to disabled people. A United Nations inquiry concluded that austerity measures represented violations of the human rights of disabled people. The same report noted that a climate where disabled people were represented as lazy and a burden was accompanied by rising hostility and aggression directed at individuals. The consequences for emotional and psychological health are clear. The IPD’s work is as relevant now as ever.