We have a duty to help people with learning disabilities vote in the election
![A polling station](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_s/public/2024-06/elliott-stallion-1UY8UuUkids-unsplash.jpg?h=5e08a8b6&itok=b2sZmdxA)
Social workers are being called upon to use their skills to make sure people with learning disabilities get to vote in the General Election.
About 1.5 million people with a learning disability and more than 700,000 autistic people live in the UK.
Government statistics show that 17 per cent have been turned away from polling stations during previous elections because of their learning disability and nearly two thirds (60 per cent) have said that registering to vote was too hard.聽
The majority of those surveyed (97 per cent) said they needed help from support workers, other staff, or family and friends to vote.聽
A new practice guide called聽Promote the Vote has been produced by 澳门六合彩开奖结果查询.聽
In a foreword to the guide, co-chairs of Learning Disability England state: 鈥淧eople with a learning disability are amongst the most impacted by government policy and also amongst the most under-represented in the polling booth.
鈥淲e hope that voting might be a first step for many into a bigger engagement in politics 鈥 and support people to find聽more聽power to change their own lives and communities.鈥
Those with severe impairments are more likely to face barriers to political participation, because it is assumed they lack of mental capacity - yet 90 per cent of people with learning disabilities聽surveyed by the government expressed a preference for voting in person at polling stations.
Discrimination
Jane Collins is the parent of a disabled adult voter. She said: "I took my son Elliott to the polling station. He knows his own mind; he鈥檚 been brought up knowing he鈥檚 got rights.
鈥淏ut we went in, and they were like 鈥榃hat's he doing here?鈥 I said, 鈥楬e's come to vote鈥 and they said 鈥楬ow's he going to do that? Who's going to help him with the pencil? What if I can't understand his voice?鈥
鈥淚t was just so utterly humiliating and just an awful experience. We went again, and had the same experience, so at that point we just changed to postal voting because I just thought I'm not going to put him through that again.鈥
Disabled people are often steered towards proxy or postal voting rather than being encouraged to turn out in person,聽.
Good practice
Social workers in Bradford have been instrumental in challenging prejudice and barriers to voting in their area, increasing voter turnout among people with learning disabilities fivefold in three years.
The number of people with a learning disability who self-reported they had cast a vote increased from four per cent at the 2019 general election to 14 per cent, 22 per cent and then 25 per cent at subsequent local elections.
The team, based at the local learning disability service, designed and delivered the 鈥楶romote the Vote鈥 campaign, which has informed the 澳门六合彩开奖结果查询 practice guide. It includes a 鈥榁oting Passport鈥 to take to polling stations informing volunteers how they can provide support.
The team produces easy-to-read information and works with electoral officials to raise awareness on registering to vote, voter ID, and support at polling stations.聽
Social workers also go into supported living and care homes in Bradford to make sure residents are aware they can vote, and that staff are trained on voting rights.
Matthew Urwin, a social worker from the Bradford learning disability service, said: 鈥淲e talk to residents about their voting rights and if they understand that they have the right to vote.
鈥淚t's a really satisfying part of our work. It's just really lovely having conversations where people are sharing their honest views about our country, about our city. Sometimes we are, for the first time, getting that understanding that they can be involved in all of that through voting.鈥
Manager Hamza Madni added: 鈥淲e're not there to talk about individual political parties, we are simply there to have a conversation with individuals to say, 鈥榊ou have the right to vote, and no one can stop you鈥.聽
鈥淚nterestingly a lot of the time, staff would say that this individual can't vote because they lack capacity.
鈥淭he only time when we need to look at the Mental Capacity Act is when there's an individual who wants someone else to vote on their behalf. Then we may need to look at their capacity around who they nominate.
鈥淲e are starting to see a shift in mindset where we are going into homes five, six years down the line, and the care providers are saying, 鈥榃e've got the support plans ready鈥, and that鈥檚 fantastic to see.鈥
In a paper published in the British Journal of Social Work last year, the Bradford team stress the project is consistent with the human rights and social justice values that underpin social work practice.
They cite previous research which found disabled people 鈥渃alled for the professionals who supported them to 鈥榳eaponise their privilege鈥, becoming an 鈥榓ccomplice鈥 in disrupting the status quo to deliver on the promise of full citizenship鈥.
Equal voting rights
is a website written by and for people with learning disabilities. It is publishing regular blogs in the run-up to the July election to make sure people are aware of their rights.聽
The site works with the Electoral Commission to improve accessible voting, and includes advice for social workers and the people they work with on how to聽 to demand they improve the voting experience.
All parties are being asked to produce聽 鈥 something successive governments have promised but failed to deliver.
Dr Mark Brookes MBE, advocacy lead, urged social workers to check out 鈥楳y Vote My Voice鈥.聽
He said: 鈥淚t's very accessible and easy to read.聽We knew one of the issues was around voting ID because people have been turned away. So if you look on the webpage, there's a聽鈥
The website also includes a聽 and how to get someone to vote on your behalf.
However, Dr Brookes added: 鈥淲e really like people to go and vote in person. It is a really good experience.鈥
Key Deadlines and further information
- : Tuesday 18 June at 23.59
- : Wednesday 19 June at 5pm (Friday 14 June for voters in Northern Ireland
- : Wednesday 26 June at 5pm聽(Friday 14 June for voters in Northern Ireland)
- Wednesday 26 June at 5pm
More information on voter ID can be seen at the聽 website 鈥 easy read and large print versions are available.
澳门六合彩开奖结果查询鈥檚聽Let's Talk Social Work podcast recently聽 to the Promote The Vote campaign, exploring how social workers can get involved.