AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me)
David Cameron and Boris Johnson are heading up either side of the referendum campaign – but too often, politicians fail to properly communicate with their audience. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA
We often hear about people being disengaged from politics because of age, gender, race or background. However, people with learning disabilities are one disenfranchised group rarely spoken of.
I have Asperger syndrome and am aware of the challenges people with autism and learning disabilities face; from finding a job to carrying out regular everyday tasks such as planning a journey. For many, getting to grips with politics is just another challenge and a potential cause of isolation.
People with learning disabilities have the same right to vote as any other adult. But historically they have not always been considered an important part of the electorate.
I grew up with BBC Radio 4 as the default station in my house and, as such, politics has always been close to my heart. I realise, however, that not everyone shares my passion or finds politics easy to understand.
With the EU referendum coming up, there has never been a more important time to make sure that the 1.5 million people in the UK with learning disabilities have their say by voting. I have been working with United Response, a national disability charity, to try and make politics more accessible to this marginalised group.
For those who understand politics, it’s easy to forget how complicated even the most straightforward things can be. Too often, politicians focus on their image and fail to properly communicate with their audience. A photo opportunity is easy, but making sure that everybody can understand your views is difficult.
I recently took to the streets of my home town Newquay in Cornwall, to find out what people think of people think of the EU. Many people I spoke to had trouble saying or defining what the EU is or does. If the general public are struggling to understand the debate, it’s hardly surprising that people with literacy or communication difficulties are disengaged.
Accessible information is the key to voter engagement for people with learning disabilities. This is true of all political campaigns and the EU referendum is no exception. It is easy for the mainstream press to assume that everybody knows what the EU is, but too often the facts are clouded in buzzwords and jargon.
In the buildup to the 2015 general election, I campaigned with United Response to encourage people with learning disabilities to register and vote. We urged politicians to produce accessible information for people with learning disabilities and created easy read versions of the party manifestoes.
I interviewed politicians from across the political spectrum because I wanted them to see how important people with learning disabilities are as voters. I was delighted when we managed to get the party leaders to commit to making their campaigns more accessible.
At the end of the campaign, we found that 43% of the surveyed people with learning disabilities supported by United Response voted at the general election in May – a 10% increase on numbers from 2010. 31% stated that they were first time voters, with only 14% saying this was due to age. What’s even more important is that 71% of the survey respondents found easy read information helpful, demonstrating that some clear communication can go a long way.
This year, I have been working for United Response again to create an accessible guide to the EU referendum. Alongside my colleagues, all of whom have either a learning disability or autism, we’ve created an easy read guide which explains the key arguments for staying in and leaving the EU in an unbiased format. We hope this will enable people to make an informed decision and exercise their democratic right on the 23rd June.
The outcome of the EU referendum, whatever it may be, will have a profound impact on everybody living in the UK. When it comes to making this important decision, let’s make sure every vote counts.
Join the Social Care Network to read more pieces like this. Follow us on Twitter (@GdnSocialCare) and like us on Facebook to keep up with the latest social care news and views.
SOURCE: http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2016/jun/07/eu-referendum-vote-learning-disability
David Cameron and Boris Johnson are heading up either side of the referendum campaign – but too often, politicians fail to properly communicate with their audience. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA
We often hear about people being disengaged from politics because of age, gender, race or background. However, people with learning disabilities are one disenfranchised group rarely spoken of.
I have Asperger syndrome and am aware of the challenges people with autism and learning disabilities face; from finding a job to carrying out regular everyday tasks such as planning a journey. For many, getting to grips with politics is just another challenge and a potential cause of isolation.
People with learning disabilities have the same right to vote as any other adult. But historically they have not always been considered an important part of the electorate.
I grew up with BBC Radio 4 as the default station in my house and, as such, politics has always been close to my heart. I realise, however, that not everyone shares my passion or finds politics easy to understand.
With the EU referendum coming up, there has never been a more important time to make sure that the 1.5 million people in the UK with learning disabilities have their say by voting. I have been working with United Response, a national disability charity, to try and make politics more accessible to this marginalised group.
For those who understand politics, it’s easy to forget how complicated even the most straightforward things can be. Too often, politicians focus on their image and fail to properly communicate with their audience. A photo opportunity is easy, but making sure that everybody can understand your views is difficult.
I recently took to the streets of my home town Newquay in Cornwall, to find out what people think of people think of the EU. Many people I spoke to had trouble saying or defining what the EU is or does. If the general public are struggling to understand the debate, it’s hardly surprising that people with literacy or communication difficulties are disengaged.
Accessible information is the key to voter engagement for people with learning disabilities. This is true of all political campaigns and the EU referendum is no exception. It is easy for the mainstream press to assume that everybody knows what the EU is, but too often the facts are clouded in buzzwords and jargon.
In the buildup to the 2015 general election, I campaigned with United Response to encourage people with learning disabilities to register and vote. We urged politicians to produce accessible information for people with learning disabilities and created easy read versions of the party manifestoes.
I interviewed politicians from across the political spectrum because I wanted them to see how important people with learning disabilities are as voters. I was delighted when we managed to get the party leaders to commit to making their campaigns more accessible.
At the end of the campaign, we found that 43% of the surveyed people with learning disabilities supported by United Response voted at the general election in May – a 10% increase on numbers from 2010. 31% stated that they were first time voters, with only 14% saying this was due to age. What’s even more important is that 71% of the survey respondents found easy read information helpful, demonstrating that some clear communication can go a long way.
This year, I have been working for United Response again to create an accessible guide to the EU referendum. Alongside my colleagues, all of whom have either a learning disability or autism, we’ve created an easy read guide which explains the key arguments for staying in and leaving the EU in an unbiased format. We hope this will enable people to make an informed decision and exercise their democratic right on the 23rd June.
The outcome of the EU referendum, whatever it may be, will have a profound impact on everybody living in the UK. When it comes to making this important decision, let’s make sure every vote counts.
Join the Social Care Network to read more pieces like this. Follow us on Twitter (@GdnSocialCare) and like us on Facebook to keep up with the latest social care news and views.
SOURCE: http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2016/jun/07/eu-referendum-vote-learning-disability
