MacIntyre was featured as a headline on ITV Anglia News on Friday, June 7th, for championing the MyVoteMyVoice campaign, which encourages people with learning disabilities to vote in the upcoming general election. The Milton Keynes advocacy group Shout Out hosted an event in response to the announcement that the election will take place on July 4th, with the voter registration deadline looming on June 18th. The event aimed to provide information on politics, different political parties, and included a mock election to help first-time voters, especially those with learning disabilities, become comfortable with the voting process.
Paul Payne, Self Advocacy and Co-Production Lead, has significantly impacted individuals who rely on support through his efforts in organising rescources for the campaign. MacIntyre The Mag Voting Special, features original illustrations by Paul and includes animated videos with helpful voting tips and advice using the voice of Sui-Ling who features on the front cover of the magazine. This initiative caught the attention of Ali Dunn, Head of Public Affairs, Policy and Communications for United Response, who attended the workshop on Friday and spoke about the importance of people with learning disabilities understanding their right to vote.
ITV News highlighted Sui-Ling's story, detailing her challenges when voting in the local election. Despite government guidelines stating that a bus pass is a valid form of ID for people with learning disabilities, volunteers at her polling station initially refused to accept it. After some back-and-forth, she was eventually allowed to vote. The MyVoteMyVoice campaign also advocates for making the voting experience more accessible for people with learning disabilities and ensuring polling workers are trained in inclusion.
Approximately 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability, and over 700,000 are autistic. However, research in 2019 revealed that less than two-thirds of the general public are aware that these individuals have an equal right to vote.
With the easy-read manifestos yet to be released, workshops like these are crucial in ensuring that people receive the correct information. Paul Payne has created a session plan for support workers or managers interested in hosting similar workshops. For a copy to enable you to host your own MyVoteMyVoice Workshop, please email [javascript protected email address] or [javascript protected email address].
Watch the ITV News Clip Here:
