Disabled people must be priority in election, say stars

Disabled campaigners including Rosie Jones and Ade Adepitan send open letter calling for all political parties to prioritise disabled people.

• New research reveals almost 8 out of 10 (77%) disabled people think politicians are out of touch with their lives

• More than half (58%) of disabled people think politicians don’t care about them

The disability equality charity Scope launches its “manifesto for an equal future” today (16 April 2024), as it calls for all political parties to make disabled people a priority.

New research from the charity demonstrates how disabled people feel sidelined by politicians.

In response, high-profile disabled people and campaigners – including the charity’s chair and top music executive Sir Robin Millar, actor and comedian Rosie Jones, comedian and TV host Adam Hills, and Paralympic medallist and TV presenter Ade Adepitan, along with Scope ambassadors Dr Shani Dhanda, Ben Elton, Sophie Morgan, Samantha Renke, and Lee Ridley – have joined with Scope to send an open letter to all party leaders urging them to prioritise the UK’s 16.1 million disabled people.[1]

The survey with 1,048 disabled adults from across the UK, carried out by Opinium and weighted to be nationally representative, found:

• 8 in 10 (77%) disabled people think politicians are out of touch with their lives
• 3 in 4 (74%) disabled people think politicians don’t understand disabled people
• More than half (58%) of disabled people think politicians don’t care about them
• 6 in 10 (64%) disabled people believe political parties will not prioritise the needs of disabled people in their election pledges
• But 85% of disabled people said they believe politicians do have the power to improve disabled people’s lives.

Scope is calling for all political parties to commit to ending the price tag that comes with disability [2], to closing the disability employment gap [3] and to transforming outdated attitudes to disability [4].

Scope believes delivering these will bring huge benefits to the UK economy, to the living standards of the disabled community and to society.

Signatory and Scope ambassador Dr Shani Dhanda is a multi-award-winning disability specialist, campaigner and social businessperson. Shani said:

“Disabled people need to be recognised, listened to, and understood. This has to happen now, at election time, and from the next government.

"One in four of us are disabled - that's a significant proportion of the voting population, and we’ll make a difference at the next election.

“Being disabled in 2024 shouldn’t be this tough. Life shouldn’t cost much more if you are disabled. Our job prospects and career trajectory should match everyone else’s.

“We need to get to the point where everyone – up and down the country - automatically sees what we can do and the benefits we bring.

Chief executive at Scope, Mark Hodgkinson said:

“Disabled people feel repeatedly overlooked and politicians need to make much greater efforts to understand their lives. Progress towards disability equality must be accelerated by a future government.

“Disabled people are a force to be reckoned with, and whose voices must be respected in this election.

“We are urging all political parties to seize the opportunity to set out how they will create an equal future for disabled people.

“We need to see a positive vision from our politicians; to make this country one of the most accessible, progressive and dynamic in the world with disability and disabled people at the heart of our national life.

“Change is possible, but we need an ambitious, transformational commitment from all political parties to remove the barriers disabled people face once and for all."

References:

All statistics, unless otherwise stated, from an online survey carried out by Opinium on behalf of Scope with 1,048 adults across the UK between 25th March - 2nd April 2024 and weighted to be nationally representative.

Figures from the Family Resources Survey 2022/2023, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which found 24% (1 in 4) people in the UK self- reported as disabled, or 16.1 million people.

Scope’s Disability Price Tag Research 2023

Employment of disabled people 2023 – Gov.uk

Scope’s attitudes research