Current Campaigns
Every Vote Counts
People with learning disabilities have the same right to vote as everyone else, yet at present many of the 1 million adults with learning disabilities in England, are not using their vote. United Response has joined forces with the Electoral Commission to launch Every Vote Counts, a three year campaign aimed at supporting people with learning disabilities to become better engaged with every aspect of the democratic process.
Earlier this year, as part of the campaign, United Response launched the Every Vote Counts pack and website. Created in partnership with people with learning disabilities and their supporters, these resources provide easy to understand information on everything from what is politics, to what is the role of an MP, to how to join a local action group.
United Response is now working on the second part of the campaign, entitled Making Democracy Accessible, which is aimed at helping politicians and public officials communicate more effectively with people with learning disabilities. United Response has recently launched the Making Democracy Accessible guide, which includes a five point guide on making public and political information more accessible, background information on engaging with learning disabled constituents and signposting to organisations who can help to make information easier to understand.
To find out more about the Every Vote Counts campaign click here.
For further information on Making Democracy Accessible click here.
Learning Disability Coalition
One of the most important campaigning groups United Response is part of is the Learning Disability Coalition. We were a founder member and continue to play a leading role in this organisation, which believes that people with a learning disability have the right to live independent lives with the support they need. The coalition wants to make sure the government provides enough public money so people with a learning disability have the same choices and chances as everyone else. This is particularly relevant in the current climate, with funding under threat, an election approaching and a Government green paper published which is attempting to tackle a looming funding crisis for social care.
The Coalition is asking people to go to its site, become a supporter, sign up for email updates and to sign its petition to support this work.
For more information click here:
Financial Inclusion
One of United Response's primary objectives is to give people with learning disabilities greater independence in their lives. A key element of true independence is financial independence, particularly important with many more people gaining their own individual budgets with which to buy in the support they need. Unfortunately, the complexity of financial information means that many are unable to manage their own bank accounts, which is why United Response, in partnership with ARC and funders including the Financial Services Authority (FSA), Friends Provident Foundation, The Now Let's Talk Money Campaign and HSBC plc, has developed a set of jargon-free, simplified and illustrated guides to the world of money.
The guides were launched by home secretary Alan Johnson MP, who said: "Thirty years ago, disabled people were too often told to go away and passively accept welfare, but now they have more choice over their lives and over the support they get. Unfortunately, people unable to get bank accounts are cut off from a huge range of associated benefits, including simplified budgeting and, in many cases, employment. I hope these guides can help people gain control over their lives by gaining control over their finances. All the contributors, but particularly United Response, have hit on something that can really help financial and social inclusion."
Nor are the guides only useful to people with learning disabilities. They are also useful for the elderly, for young people learning about money for the first time and for the many people who don't speak English as a first language. In fact, they'll be useful for every single person who uses financial services, which in the current economic climate is more important than ever. The guides – which also help people to budget properly, manage bills, avoid debt and get the right insurance – can be found at www.making-money-easier.info.
Employment
Less than one in ten people with learning disabilities has a job. Yet research shows that two thirds of those who are unemployed would like to work. What's stopping them? In 2008, United Response, tried to answer this question by launching a report entitled "Being Something That I've Always Wanted To Be." This explored the barriers people with learning disabilities face in finding employment and examined ways to support them.
The report finds that the benefits for people with learning disabilities from working are considerable, including increased confidence, independence, self-esteem and well-being. Businesses themselves often found people with learning disabilities to be excellent employees. It also found several ways in which people with learning disabilities could be helped to find work. These include promoting their strengths as employees, increasing flexibility in the benefits system and ensuring that the education system (as think this may also include colleges) place more emphasis on preparing people with learning disabilities for the world of work.
United Response continues to campaign for the rights of people with learning disabilities to be given employment opportunities, working alongside like-minded organisations and in the media to persuade government and businesses of the value this provides. The report, praised by care services minister Phil Hope as "welcome and challenging", can be found here.
Please click here to view an interview with Su Sayer, chief executive of United Response on the charities' latest campaigns.
