Increasing the participation of people with learning disabilities in UK elections
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Increasing the participation of people with learning disabilities in UK elections

Indermeet Sawhney Consultant psychiatrist and clinical director, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Hatfield, England
Chetan Shah Operational research lead, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Sabrina Richards Research assistant, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Hatfield, England
Neeraj Prabhakaran Research assistant, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Hatfield, England
Lottie Anstee Research assistant, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Hatfield, England
Asif Zia Consultant psychiatrist and executive director, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Hatfield, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To acknowledge the importance of the participation of people with learning disabilities in elections

  • To increase your understanding of the legal rights of people with learning disabilities to vote

  • To enhance your knowledge of what prevents and enables a person with a learning disability to vote

It is crucial that people with learning disabilities vote so that they are represented in the country’s institutions. In the UK, approximately 2% of the adult population has a learning disability, yet far fewer people with learning disabilities vote compared with the general population. This article describes a project undertaken at one NHS mental health trust in England to explore knowledge and attitudes in relation to people with learning disabilities’ participation in elections and to increase participation in the 2024 UK general election. Three groups – adults with learning disabilities, carers of adults with learning disabilities and healthcare professionals working with adults with learning disabilities – were asked to complete a questionnaire. Many participating adults with learning disabilities were not aware that they had the right to vote. Carers and healthcare professionals had varying levels of knowledge and confidence with respect to supporting adults with learning disabilities to vote. These results highlight the urgent need for targeted education, accessible information and practical support to enhance people with learning disabilities’ participation in elections.

Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2024.e2261

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@HPFT_Research

Correspondence

chetanshah@nhs.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

Sawhney I, Shah C, Richards S et al (2024) Increasing the participation of people with learning disabilities in UK elections. Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2024.e2261

Published online: 17 December 2024

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more