Never expected to walk or talk, let alone sing ... Lizzie Emeh is working on her second album and has become engaged. Picture: Lizzie Emeh / Instagram Source: Instagram

Yet Lizzie Emeh is not letting learning disabilities stop her. She’s working on her second album — her first album Loud and Proud was released in October 2009.

She is also engaged and told Daily Life that she wants to talk about sex.

“People with learning disabilities are afraid to talk about sex,” 37-year-old Emeh said. “We’re frightened to talk about this stuff. It’s really, really astonishing. It’s silly really.”

She said that the subject had come more to her attention now that she was is having fun with fiancé Eddie.

“People with learning disabilities don’t talk about having sex because ‘it’s wrong’,” Emeh said.

“It’s not. It’s a natural bloody thing. But people turn around and say, ‘you shouldn’t have that’. Why? Because anything can happen? You can get pregnant, you can get this, you can get that. Well if I get pregnant, that’s a blessing, thank you very much.”

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"We flirt and fall in love just like you" ... UK singer Lizzie Emeh, who has learning disabilities and has become engaged, has played a season at London’s Southbank Centre. Picture: Lizzie Emeh / Instagram Source: Instagram

Emeh, who sang with Beverley Knight at the London 20102 Paralympic Games opening ceremony, said people needed to open their eyes.

“We flirt and fall in love just like you,” she said.

“People with learning disabilities are not silly — we know what we’re doing. We know how to play it safe and all that.”

She has dated Eddie for five years and known him for nine years. He too has learning disabilities.

“I wouldn’t go with anybody without a learning disability,” Emeh said.

“Because they wouldn’t be able to understand me. They would freak out, basically. I have close friends that don’t have any disabilities. [But] if you’re going out with someone who has a learning disability and you’re not one of them, it’s really scary. For them, not for me. It’s a lot to get your head around.”

Emeh said she struggles with the negative remarks made about her relationship with her fiancé Eddie.

“People turn around and say to us, ‘you shouldn’t do that’. Why? Because it’s wrong. Why? Because you’ve got disabilities. That’s something you have to worry about — not us.

“Why don’t you just leave us to do what we’re doing and then you will see if it works out or not. And it will. I don’t like people saying stuff like that. It’s not right. We know what we’re doing. It’s just because we’ve got disabilities.

“We’re not stupid — we’re just like you. We’re ‘normal’ — like you.”