Jargon filled manifestos, inaccessible polling stations, photo ID restrictions, lack of clear knowledge available on voting rights: these are just some of the barriers to voting for disabled people in Greater Manchester and across the UK.
On Tuesday 9 April, we were delighted to attend the My Vote, My Voice hustings event along with local campaigner Nathaniel Yates.
Hosted by United Response, the hustings event invited four candidates for the upcoming Greater Manchester Mayoral Election who presented their vision for Greater Manchester and answered fantastic questions from an audience of over 60 self-advocates about their priorities for disabled people.
Some highlights and policies from each candidate included:
Andy Burnham, Labour Party
- ‘‘Disability is at the heart of my work’’
- We want to continue building new housing – particularly for independent living, people living with dementia, and council housing
- We would expand and improve the Bee Network, including offering a GMR Carer’s Pass
- We want a technical pathway for Post-16 education that allows alternative paths for everyone
Hannah Spencer, Green Party
- We want a “world designed for everybody”
- We’d work on a charter for employers to help make workplaces more accepting, comfortable environments
- We’d like to commission a review on accessibility and ensure houses meet standards – (“put people first, not developer’s profits”)
- We need to look at transport – unreliable, late transport adds extra stress for people who rely on it, and it shouldn’t be the accepted norm
Jake Austin, Lib Dem Party
- “I want to be the voice of marginalised communities”
- There is a “massive untapped potential for training the adult workforce” – we would focus on providing more training and development of skills for adults
- We want better transport between the suburbs so that people who aren’t able to drive aren’t facing journeys that are exponentially longer on public transport
Laura Evans, Conservative Party
- ‘‘I want to ensure people feel included, not excluded in society’’
- Accessibility should always be factored in – “we’re not asking for anything complicated”
- We want to build much more housing that is not on the green belt and is accessible
- We want much more focus on early intervention
All four parties promised accessible, easy-to-read manifestos, which will be launched shortly.
A big thank you to United Response for organising such an informative, meaningful debate.
For more information and to register to vote, visit the My Vote, My Voice website
