Charities help users get to a ballot box
Community members with disabilities urged to get out and vote by Board of Deputies leader, or else 'other people will make a decision for you'
Naomi is a freelance features writer
People with learning disabilities have been urged to use their vote or “other people will make a decision for you,” a top community leader has warned ahead of this month’s general election.
Gillian Merron, chief executive of the Board of Deputies, recently spoke to Langdon service users at their monthly meeting, and drew on her experience of representing vulnerable people to explain the importance of voting in an accessible way. She said: “It was my pleasure to encourage and guide Langdon members to exercise their right to vote.
“This is a strong group in our community who know what they want. I hope Parliamentary candidates are ready for some searching questions”.
Subjects discussed included registering to vote and choosing the most suitable candidate.
Chief executive Gary Skovron said: “Langdon empowers the independence of all its members to make their own decisions and voting is an extension of this right.”
Elsewhere, Kisharon is employing Voting Passports, a form that people with learning disabilities can fill out in advance with all the requirements for extra support that they might need on election day.
At the Jewish Deaf Association, an information worker has helped clients understand proposed changes to disability benefits, while Jewish Care has produced a guide and film for staff to support clients.
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