Press Release

United Response launches campaign to tell people with learning disabilities about voting

8th June 2007

Electoral Commission logo

The campaign is funded by the Electoral Commission.

a thumb turned down

In the 2001 General Election only 31% of people with learning disabilities voted.

calendar showing three years

Every Vote Counts! is a three year campaign to get more people with learning disabilities on the register to vote.

man in a wheelchair with a thumb up and holding a board with a tick on it

Then people will have more say over what happens in their lives.

people around a table

In the first year, United Response will speak to people from other organisations and people it supports.

Every Vote Counts pack

The people at the project will create a resource to help people understand how politics affects them.

Every Vote Counts pack with lots of arrows going out from it

United Response will then share the information and support people to become involved.

people being trained

It will also offer training to organisations and groups involved in voting and politics so they can make information more accessible.

someone casting a vote with a question mark

Su Sayer from United Response said: "Having the right to vote means nothing if you do not know why you are voting and what you are voting for."

man thinking about easy words and pictures

"At the moment, there is not enough accessible information to help people."

two men laughing

"We want to work with people and the people who support them so they can learn more and be confident about voting."

woman doing the thumbs up sign

Stephen Rooney, Communications Director at the Electoral Commission said: "We are very pleased to give this money to United Response. The charity is good at making things accessible."

ballot box and a tick

"This is an exciting project and we look forward to working with United Response so people with learning disabilities can vote more easily."