Anna’s Blog – Opening the Door: Making Politics Accessible

In 1981, three residents in the Calderstones Hospital, a service for people with learning disabilities, successfully campaigned for the right to vote in General Elections. This brave act enshrined the voting rights of support people in law, along with other policy changes such as the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and the Equality Act 2010, which supported people to have a voice and a say. Unfortunately, in the forty years since those three passionate activists fought for their rights, there has remained a distinct lack of disability representation on the political playing field.

The absence of active political inclusion and accessibility is creating a barrier for people with disabilities and support needs to have a voice and a say in the policies that affect them. Only eight out of 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) have declared a disability, but a political system that was actually reflective of the UK would see 122 more disabled MPs and 700 more disabled local councillors. With one in five working age adults in the UK living with a disability, there are millions of people who still do not see themselves and the issues they face represented in politics.

A report, ‘Breaking Down Barriers’ by the Disability Policy Centre (DPC) found that the under-representation of disabled people in politics is down to various factors, such as inconsiderate planning, and the culture they are working in. ‘Whether that is in the local council chamber or the political party fundraisers, stereotyping, poor planning and inaccessible campaign techniques are often cutting disabled people off from political engagement at the first rung of the ladder,’ states the report.

This report featured interviews with people with disabilities and support needs across the country to find out why there is such a disparity in voting and representation in politics. It found that 100% of people interviewed believed that political parties do not do enough to ensure those with disabilities or long-term health conditions have the same opportunities as those without. To combat this, the DPC recommended implementing increased participation opportunities such as: experience, training and development programmes logically contributing to the increased engagement of disabled people, and increasing disabled representation.

There are many more considerate things political parties, and the political system as a whole, can do to make politics more accessible. From simple things such as ensuring wheelchair accessible polling booths on election day, having easy read or accessible documentation on political parties’ websites, to actively inviting people with support needs to partake in council-related activities to share their lived experiences; making politics a place for all is essential and all it requires is forward thinking.

Vincent, a gentleman we support in Greater Manchester is a keen political activist. He recently attended a local council meeting and afterwards had a 1-1 meeting with his local councillor to discuss the issues faced by residents. This included fly tipping, uneven pavements, and dangerous driving, which Vincent feels is impacting local morale and pride. For forty minutes the pair spoke openly about these problems, and the councillor engaged with Vincent and appreciated him raising these concerns. She gave him advice, and spoke about how the collective efforts of Vincent and other engaged people in the community have flagged this issue, and the council is now working on fixing these concerns.

Vincent is proudly political, and wants to encourage more people to engage with politics. “It affects us all,” said Vincent, who couldn’t be more right. Politics impacts everything from getting your local bins collected to funding for public services in social care, and having a wider demographic represented in politics, including people with support needs, would afford people a voice on a platform where they could promote change for the better.

Politics should be a place for all, but the systemic barriers people with disabilities and support needs face when trying to get a toe in the door is keeping people out. Having people with lived experience in politics is essential, as it allows people to share the reality of health and social care today. Opening the door to politics benefits everyone, and it’s my hope that we see more passionate political activists like Vincent on our local councils and helping to run the country in the coming years.