The general election this year will be very important. United Response is asking political parties to make information easier for people with learning disabilities.
Press Release
Making disabled people's votes count — groundbreaking campaign
20th January 2010
Many people with learning disabilities have the right to vote but lots do not vote. Our report shows that only 16% of people with learning disabilities voted in the last election.
Many people with learning disabilities told us they felt excluded from the democratic process. Often, this was because there is not enough easy information about candidates and policies.
Our report is the end of a 3 year project, funded by the Electoral Commission. It has stories from people with learning disabilities. It says how politicians can make things easier for people with learning disabilities.
In the report, we are asking for everything to be easier for people with learning disabilities so that more people will vote.
On 20th January, we will launch the report at an event for MPs, political parties and local authorities at the House of Commons. We will show people the guides and this website we have made.
The guides and website are to make politics easier for people with learning disabilities. We also want them to help MPs and candidates communicate clearly with people.
Su Sayer OBE is the chief executive of United Response. She says:
'People with learning disabilities are affected by decisions made at a national and local level in the same way as everyone else. But information is often presented in a way which is confusing and full of jargon.... This means many people who would like to vote are excluded.'
Mark, is 20 and from Greater Manchester. He has physical and learning disabilities. He says:
"People with learning disabilities should get a chance to vote because everyone else gets to. Everyone should have a say in how the country is run. People should definitely vote if they want things to change."
Because he is 20, he hasn't voted in an election before. He had not thought about voting this year.
But he went to a presentation about Every Vote Counts and can now see how politics affects him.
He says: "I was too young to vote at the last general election and voting is not something that has really taken my interest before, but I can now see through Every Vote Counts why it is important."
Diane Abbot MP said:
'I think it is very important to encourage people with learning disabilities to vote. It is not good that people don't vote because things are not made easy.
'The Making Democracy Accessible Pack is clear and covers lots of things. Information about things like using pictures and how words look are really useful.'
