A report carried out by United Response shows that as few as 16% of people with learning disabilities who were registered to vote actually did so in the last election, compared with a national turnout of 61%. It also explored why so many people with learning disabilities feel excluded from the democratic process: key barriers were a lack of easy-to-understand information about candidates and policies, the complexity of the voting process and low awareness of the right of people with learning disabilities to vote.

Media coverage relating to the event is already rampant. Su Sayer, chief executive at United Response, has opinion pieces about the launch on The Big Picture blog, the Guardian website and epolitix.com