Disabled people who want to become councilors or MPs will have access to a fund to help them overcome the barriers they face, under proposals recently published by the Government .
The fund is just one part of a planned £1 million package aimed at improving access to elected office for disabled people. Proposals also include the creation of new training and development opportunities and the introduction of a mentoring programme that will allow aspiring disabled politicians to learn from people who have already made it to the top.
Home Secretary and Minister for Equalities Theresa May said:
“It’s not fair that someone who has the right to take an active role in our democracy is prevented from doing so simply because are disabled. If political representatives at all levels – from Downing Street to district councils – are to truly represent the views and needs of the communities they serve, they need to better reflect those communities. Disabled people are under-represented in politics, and this package of support will help remedy that.”
Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller said:
“Far too often disabled people still encounter outdated attitudes that prevent them from doing the things everyone else takes for granted. A recent survey showed that nearly four in ten people thought disabled people could not be as productive as non-disabled people and three quarters of those surveyed thought disabled people needed care for all or some of the time.
“Attitudes like this show that there is still a long way to go to break down barriers and challenge prejudices. By supporting more disabled people who want to take leadership positions in politics we can help change those perceptions and make people see that when it comes to disability it’s not what someone can’t do but what they can.”
The consultation, which follows a coalition agreement commitment to introduce extra support for disabled people who want to become MPs, councillors or other types of elected position, will run for three months, with the scheme expected to launch in late 2011. It is a joint project being run by the Government Equalities Office, the Office for Disability Issues (part of the Department for Work and Pensions) and the Cabinet Office.