Taking part in politics
With only around one in eight people with learning disabilities exercising their right to vote, Herefordshire Council is holding a special event to help them understand how they can take part in local politics.
Herefordshire Council is committed to engaging all communities in the county and is holding the "Taking part in politics" event at Withington village hall on Thursday, October 2.
People with learning disabilities and their families and carers are being invited to come along to the free event which runs from 11am to 1.30pm
In small workshops, people will be able to learn about democracy, why politics is important and how to vote.
"A survey recently published by the learning disability charity United Response revealed that while 80 per cent of people with learning disabilities supported by the charity are registered to vote, only one in six voted in their last local election and one in eight in the last general election. We suspect the figures are the same in Herefordshire," said diversity officer Harriet Yellin.
The report stated a complex voting system, a shortage of accessible information and a lack of learning disability awareness training for councillors, MPs and other political stakeholders as key reasons for the low turnout.
"This event has been organised as a direct result of the public disability consultation the council carried out in 2006 when people told us that they found it difficult to understand the political process," added Harriet.
"The United Response survey confirms what we were told - that people with learning disabilities need support to register to vote, and want to get involved in the political decisions that affect their lives."
The October event will give people the opportunity to meet the Mayor of Hereford, find out whether they are registered to vote, and be the first to see new easy-read literature on the electoral process.
Anyone wanting to attend should book their place by Thursday, September 25, by e-mailing their details to diversity@herefordshire.gov.uk or calling 01432 260216.
The council can help people get to the event if they have difficulty in arranging their own transport - please ring 01432 260216 to find out more.
