Press Release

Every vote counts

United Response launches campaign to engage people with learning disabilities in the democratic process

United Response, the charity creating opportunities with people with learning disabilities or mental health needs, is launching a campaign today to make the democratic process more accessible to the thousands of people with learning disabilities in England who are missing out on the opportunity to vote. The campaign will be funded by the Electoral Commission, under its programme to encourage greater participation among disabled people.

In the 2001 General Election only 31% of people with learning disabilities voted compared with a national turnout of 59%. Every Vote Counts is a three year campaign to increase the number of people with learning disabilities that are registered to vote and help them have more of a say in the political decisions that affect their lives.

During the first year of the campaign, United Response will consult with other organisations and people supported by the charity, to create a resource to help people with learning disabilities better understand how politics affects their everyday lives, the reasons for voting and how to engage in the democratic process.

United Response will then disseminate the information, providing training for its staff so they can support people to become more actively involved. It will also offer training to organisations and groups involved in the electoral and democratic process on how to make information about policies and candidates more accessible to people with learning disabilities.

Su Sayer, Chief Executive of United Response said:

"Having the right to vote is meaningless unless you know why you are voting and what you are voting for. At present, a lack of accessible information about the democratic process means that people with learning disabilities are some of the most disenfranchised in society.

"Through Every Vote Counts we want to work with people and the organisations that support them so they can increase their knowledge and confidence and make an informed choice about voting.

"We also want to influence those involved in the political process to encourage them to think about the importance of the learning disability constituency and how they can better serve them. As users of local services, people with learning disabilities are affected by political decisions on a daily basis. Therefore, it is vital that they are supported to speak out and have their votes counted."

United Response has over 30 years experience of working with people with learning disabilities throughout England. It is a pioneer of both person-centred support and accessible communication, both of which were recognised by the Electoral Commission in its award to the charity of £123,586.

Stephen Rooney, Communications Director at the Electoral Commission said:

"We are very pleased to award this grant to United Response. The charity has proven expertise in developing communication tools and providing individualised support for people with the most complex needs, which makes it ideally placed to deliver the Every Vote Counts project.

"This is an exciting project and we look forward to working with United Response to open up the democratic process to people with learning disabilities."

Ends

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

email Jaime.Gill@unitedresponse.org.ukorSarah.Bartlett@unitedresponse.org.uk

or call 020 8246 5122 / 020 8246 5237

Notes to editors:

The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Our aim is integrity and public confidence in the UK’s democratic process. We regulate party and election finance and set standards for well-run elections.
The Electoral Commission has recently awarded United Response a grant of £123,586 to implement Every Vote Counts.
The aim of Every Vote Counts is to make politics directly relevant to people with learning disabilities, to extend their understanding of how politics affects their everyday lives
The project will run for a three year period. Over this time United Response will work with the Electoral Commission to develop training resources for the people supported by United Response, United Response staff and organisations involved in the electoral and democratic process. It will also provide information to other organisations supporting people with learning disabilities.
According to a survey 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
United Response is a national charity working with over 1,500 people with learning disabilities or mental health needs. United Response supports some of the most vulnerable people in society. More than half of the people we support cannot talk and many more have communications difficulties. Many also have physical and visual impairments. United Response is committed to supporting people – whatever their level of disability – to live the life they choose. We work with each person, their circle of support and their families to find out what they want and how they want to be supported. We have pioneered an approach called ‘active support’ which focuses on supporting people to engage and participate in a whole range of real, meaningful activities and relationships, rather than being or remaining isolated within their communities.
United Response believes that making communication accessible is key to unlocking the doors that exclude people from everyday life. All our staff are trained to understand each person’s way of communicating so that we can build our care and support around their own choices, wants and aspirations. We develop tools to meet these needs and adapt with them as their ability to communicate develops.
In 2002, United Response set up an ‘Inclusion Team’ to work intensively with the people we support, and with the staff who care for them, to develop their communications skills.

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