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Direct and indirect discrimination against people with intellectual disability, through physical, attitudinal, social, structural and financial barriers, occurs at all levels of society.^10,25,28

The combination of complex healthcare needs, communication difficulties and reliance on others for support has significant implications for the delivery of health care to people with intellectual disability._{^{2,10,[22],[23],[24]}}

People with intellectual disability, in particular children and young people, are also at increased risk of poor health and reduced health outcomes as a result of poverty, social isolation, domestic violence, becoming victims of crime, homelessness, child abuse and neglect, living in out-of-home care, or over-representation in juvenile and adult criminal justice systems.^3,10,[13]

When compared with the general population, people with intellectual disability have significantly higher physical and psychiatric morbidities.^{[8],[9],[10],[11],[12]}

The World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Functioning for Disability and Health (ICF) defines disability as the result of the interaction between a person’s impairment and their environment.⁶

The diagnosis of intellectual disability is based on a combination of psychometric assessment, clinical judgement and the person’s adaptive functioning.⁵

Intellectual disability is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood and is ‘characterised by intellectual difficulties as well as difficulties in conceptual, social and practical areas of living’.^[4]