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Home / Disabled people's election manifesto launched

Disabled people's election manifesto launched

By agency reporter
November 15, 2019

The Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance, an alliance of disabled people and their organisations, has released a Disabled People’s Manifesto, containing demands for the first 100 days of a new government.

This manifesto has been written in consultation with Disabled People’s Organisations and Disabled people across the UK, and is based on the social model of disability and the cultural model of deafness. 

The manifesto calls for:

  • Ending austerity, which disproportionately affects Disabled people
  • A planned programme of national and local investment to address the impact of austerity and progress equality and inclusion for Disabled people
  • Setting up a National Independent Living Service to replace our failing social care system
  • Deinstitutionalisation and a radical reform to mental health and mental capacity laws
  • Scrapping Universal Credit and designing a new benefits system in co-production with Disabled people
  • Removing conditionality and sanctions
  • A fully inclusive education system
  • Measures to remove the barriers we face in employment, access to justice, housing and participation in all aspect of life.

The Alliance says, "We believe it is more important than ever that the political parties truly commit to co-producing its policies with Disabled people and our organisations, and uphold the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’."

The Alliance will be sharing the manifesto with political parties and candidates, but is asking people to:

  • Share the manifesto with their local MP candidates
  • Interview MP candidates on some or all of the issues discussed in the manifesto.
  • Hold local hustings
  • Run a voter registration drive to make sure as many Disabled people as possible have the opportunity to get their voices heard on polling day
  • Use the local press and social media to publicise events and the manifesto demands

The Alliance has resources providing information and ideas on what Deaf and Disabled People's Organisations can do in elections, including legal responsibilities under Charity Law and the Lobbying Act.

* Read the Disabled People's Manifesto 2019 here

* Easy Read version of the manifesto here

*  Access election information and resources here

* Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance https://www.rofa.org.uk/

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