Mencap’s ‘Get My Vote’

A campaign to ensure that people with a learning disability can use their right to vote

As most of us already know, a general election is due to take place later this year so Mencap’s ‘Get my vote’ campaign has been launched to kick start the government into making sure that those with a disability can be heard correctly.  To do this they are suggesting that something as simple as make sure that accessible information about how to register to vote is available along with encouraging the main parties to make their manifestos in an easy to read format.

Shockingly, at the last general election only “2 out of 10 people with a learning disability used their vote, compared to 6 out of 10 of the whole UK population” yet currently there are about one million people with a learning disability who are eligible to vote in the UK so it’s about time something is done.

Mencap have stated that they have also “tabled an Early Day Motion in parliament, calling for more accessible materials to be produced in the election. Early Day Motions allow MPs to support causes that are important to them”.  Mencap are asking people to ask their local MP to sign it.  Please click here for further details on how to get your MP to sign their Early Day Motion.

In the early part of this year the All Party Parliamentary Group on Learning Disability are set to work on this issue. Representatives from the main parties will have the chance to explain the steps they are taking to make sure that people with a learning disability are more involved.

You can find out more information by going to the Mencap website.  Alternatively, click here to find out whether you’re MP has signed up to the campaign.

You can also download a very useful ‘Easy-read guide to voting’ published by Mencap themselves.  For a copy, please click here.

Check out the following site also for easy information about politics, how politics affects people and how to get involved and have a say in how the country is run – everyvotecounts.org.uk.