People with learning disabilities 'excluded from elections'

Only one in six people with learning disabilities voted in the last local elections despite 80% being registered to do so, according to a survey published today.

As voters prepare to head to the polls to have their say in the local elections, the survey published by the learning disability charity United Response cites the complexity of the system, a shortage of accessible information and a lack of learning disability awareness training for councillors, MPs and other political stakeholders, as key reasons for the low turnout.

The survey was carried out as part of Every Vote Counts, a three year campaign funded by the Electoral Commission and launched by United Response to help people with learning disabilities to register to vote and become more engaged in the political decisions that affect their lives.

Since 2005 the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) has required all public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.

This includes the 985,000 people in England with a learning disability for whom written information can often act as a barrier unless presented in an accessible way.

The survey aimed to find out how engaged people with learning disabilities currently are in the democratic process and what needs to be done in order for more people to have the opportunity to participate.

Two-hundred and twenty-seven people with learning disabilities and 252 who support them took part.

The findings show that:

• Fewer people with learning disabilities may be taking part in the democratic process than previously thought. Only 20% of respondents voted in their last local elections and 16% in  the last general election. Research commissioned by the Department of Health relating to the 2001 General Election suggested a figure of 31%.
• Many support workers would like to provide more support for people to take part in the democratic process. And while support staff have developed innovative ways of supporting  people, many felt that a lack of accessible information made it difficult for them to explain differences between candidates and policies in a clear and unbiased way.
• Remote voting is making it easier for some disabled people to vote. But many respondents felt that in general the system was still too complex, making it difficult for them to support people (even with mild learning disabilities) to make an informed choice.
• Training, more accessible information and a better understanding of the needs of people with learning disabilities by candidates and other stakeholders could all help to open up the democratic process to more people in the future.

Chief executive of United Response, Su Sayer, said: "Political decisions affect the lives of people with learning disabilities in the same way as they affect everyone else - more so in many cases - and yet they continue to be some of the most disenfranchised people in society.

“Our survey shows that although some progress is being made, there are still far too many barriers preventing people with learning disabilities from having their say and denying them their right to choose. Every Vote Counts is about overcoming these barriers in a practical way."

United Response is currently working with the people it supports and support workers to develop a series of online and interactive resources to explain the democratic process in an accessible way.

These will also look at issues around capacity to vote, along with suggestions of how to present information in an unbiased way and examples of best practice.

Su Sayer said: "People with learning disabilities have been excluded from the democratic process for too long. We need to create a society where this is no longer the norm.

"This is not just about voting. It's about giving people the practical support they need to become active members of their community with a say in the decisions that affect their lives. For example, someone might be interested in the environment and may want to find out about local recycling services.

"Another person may be concerned by how long they have had to wait for a hospital appointment and want to know who they can contact about it."

The charity will also want to work with people within the political system - MPs, councillors, political parties, returning officers and others, to help them gain a better understanding of the needs of people with learning disabilities and to provide them with the tools to make their own information accessible.