Easy read guide to voting in local elections in England
2 MB | pdf
Barack Obama declared that “there is no such thing as a vote that does not matter”. Yet many people are still effectively excluded from exercising their vote.
There are approximately 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK. But, a United Response survey in 2021 found that only two thirds of people knew that people with learning disabilities have a legal right to vote.
The same year a Dimensions survey found that 80% of people felt that polling stations weren’t accessible for people with a learning disability and 61% of people reported that polling station staff did not always make legally entitled reasonable adjustments. And, RNIB have serious concerns that the Elections Bill will fail to protect blind and partially sighted people’s right to vote independently and in secret.
Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) explains how disabled people will have their political rights guaranteed so they can enjoy them on an equal basis with others. This includes ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand, and use.
As organisations and individuals we are committed to ensuring Article 29 of the UNCRPD is upheld. To make sure disabled and autistic voters have their political rights guaranteed, and voting is an accessible process, for Accessible Voting Day on 3 March 2022 we are pledging to:
United Response worked with the Electoral Commission and the Cabinet Office to produce easy read guides and practice ballot papers for each of the different elections. Please download these and share them to support voters who are autistic or have a learning disability:
2 MB | pdf
2 MB | pdf
Please take the campaign pledge to help make voting and elections more accessible for people with disabilities and autism.
You can find lots of resources and information on making voting more accessible on the United response website.