Nearly half of disabled people in the UK feel forgotten by political parties

Nearly half of disabled people in the UK feel they aren’t important to political parties, research by the disability charity Sense has found. However more than three quarters said they were planning to vote in the general election, and the next Prime Minister must do more to make their voices heard.

The Chief Executive at Sense, Richard Kramer, has said it was a “disgrace” that disabled people have received “so little attention” from politicians over the election campaign. 

During the leaders debate on Wednesday evening one audience member said that disabled people like herself had been hit in the worst way, she asked how the leaders would ensure people forced to stop working due to illness won’t be hit by benefit sanctions. 

It highlighted one of the fears that many of the 16 million disabled people in the UK have been affected by after a decade of cuts and the ‘onslaught of attacks’ to disabled people’s rights. 

“Disabled people are struggling to pay for essentials like food and energy. The social care sector, which so many depend on, is in crisis, and the welfare system is in urgent need of reform,” said Kramer.

The Chief Executive highlighted that whoever forms the next UK government “must show disabled people that they do matter to them.”

Sense has highlighted seven recommendations for how the next government can improve the lives of disabled people, these are: 

• Make sure disabled people can afford the essentials.
• Fund social care so no disabled adult goes without support.
• End the postcode lottery of social care for disabled children.
• Give every disabled child equal access to education.
• Make the benefits system work for disabled people.
• Tackle barriers to work.
• Always have a senior Minister for Disabled People.

Equality groups have called on the next government to be bolder in their offer for disabled people. The group Disability Rights UK has written a Disabled People’s Manifesto with a pledge card for election candidates to sign. 

Among the pledges are; strengthen disabled people’s rights, speak to disabled people and organisations to listen to their expertise and solutions, push for investment in public services to support people to live, learn and work in the community. 

Ending austerity is highlighted as a key means of improving everyone’s quality of life, and the group has called for a long-term Disability Strategy to tackle the root causes of oppression and deliver fundamental reform and investment. 

Promoting representation in political and public life, supporting inclusion and independence and guaranteeing disabled people’s rights under the United Nations Convention are pushed as essential steps for the next government to champion, as laid out in detail here.

Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward

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