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Press Release

Thursday 1st May 2008

Every Vote Counts

People with learning disabilities face barriers to democracy

As voters head to the polls to have their say in the local elections, a survey published by the learning disability charity United Response today reveals that while 80% of people with learning disabilities supported by the charity are registered to vote, only 1 in 6 participated in their last local election and 1 in 8 in the last general election.

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, were all cited 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.

This 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 two hundred and fifty-two people who support them took part.

The findings show that:

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."

This story is also on our new website: www.everyvotecounts.org.uk

Ends

For more information please contact Sarah Bartlett or Jaime Gill in the United Response Press Office on

or or call 020 8246 5122 / 020 8246 5237

Notes to editors:

  1. United Response conducted this survey as part of Every Vote Counts, a three year campaign aimed at making politics directly relevant to people with learning disabilities, to extend their understanding of how politics affects their everyday lives, and to support them to become actively involved.
  2. The project is funded by the Electoral Commission. Over the three years of the project, United Response will work with the Commission, people supported by United Response and United Response staff to develop resources to help people with learning disabilities better engage in the democratic process. It will also work with MPs, councillors and other political stakeholders to develop resources to help them better understand the needs of people with learning disabilities and to help them make their own information more accessible.
  3. United Response carried out this survey as a baseline assessment to find out how involved people with learning disabilities currently are in the democratic process. The survey was sent to 196 United Response services. The survey asked support workers for information on the number of people currently registered to vote at the service and also for information on whether or not people are using their vote.
  4. In services where people are not registered or using their vote, respondents were asked to give reasons for this. Respondents were also asked for their experiences of supporting people to vote and to participate in the democratic process - what they had tried, what had worked, what had not, what they had learnt. They were also asked what they hoped to achieve in the future in terms and what help they might need to achieve this. All information was supplied anonymously and respondents were asked not to give information on individuals or on how people chose to vote.
  5. Fifty-two services responded to the survey, providing feedback on the experiences of 227 people with learning disabilities and 252 people who support them.
  6. Estimating Future Need/Demand for Supports for Adults with Learning Disabilities in England, Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University (2004)
  7. According to a survey commissioned by the Department of Health, only 31% people with a learning disability voted in the 2001 general election, against a national turnout of 59%. Source: Adults with Learning Difficulties in England 2003-2004, Department of Health
  8. United Response is a national charity that works with people with learning disabilities or mental health needs - including some of the most vulnerable people in our society. We provide everything from 24 hour care to a few hours of support a week. United Response is community based, working in many localities across England and Wales.
  9. Our mission is to support people with learning disabilities or mental health needs to take control of their lives. We design our care and support around each person and work with them to achieve real inclusion, independence and citizenship for all. We support people across the whole spectrum of learning disability and mental health and have developed a range of specialisms in working with people with the most complex needs, particularly person-centred active support.
  10. We are working towards a society where people with learning disabilities or mental health needs are equal participants and have access to the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. We have won several awards for our pioneering work and for being a top employer. In 2007 alone, we have been highly commended by the Charity Awards for our "Good To Great" approach to providing support, while the Charity Times named us one of the best six charities to work for in the UK. We are experts in the development of accessible communications.
  11. United Response was founded in 1973 by chief executive Su Sayer. We are a top 100 charity, supporting more than 1,500 people throughout the UK at any one time and employing more than 2,000 staff. To find out more about our work go to www.unitedresponse.org.uk
  12. The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Their aim is integrity and public confidence in the UK’s democratic process. They regulate party and election finance and set standards for well-run elections.