Speaking Up

This page gives further details about Speaking Up, an organisation funded under the Partnership Grants Scheme.

Speaking up provides advocacy services, self advocacy based projects and resources for people with learning difficulties, mental health issues and physical disabilities.

• visit the Sepaking Up website at www.speakingup.org.uk

Promote the vote project

The project enabled people with learning disabilities to increase their understanding and knowledge of democratic processes as well encourage them to register to vote. The project delivered a series of interactive workshop days across Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Herts Northants, Leicestershire and London. Some of the workshops were linked to conferences where political representatives were invited. An award winning web based toolkit was also developed.
Our grant funds salaries, disabled trainers,  travel and associated project costs.

Project outcomes

• people with learning disabilities who participate in the project will register to vote
• People with learning disabilities from six counties will have increased understanding and confidence around making choices and voting and the consequences of voting decisions
• people with learning disabilities from six counties will have increased their participation in political decision making and voting
• people with learning disabilities from six counties will have increased their awareness of the main political parties, how local, national and European democracy operates and the importance of participation in democracy
• people with learning disabilities from six counties will have reduced their feelings of fear around the voting process
• people with learning disabilities UK wide will increase their awareness and confidence around voting and democracy by using interactive web based resource
• at least 30 politicians will increase their awareness of the enablers and barriers to voting experienced by people with learning difficulties

Outcomes achieved

Workshops were delivered by a project team consisting of the Project Co ordinator and Trainers who themselves were people with learning difficulties. Workshop sessions were interactive and included group exercises and mock elections. Workshop content was adapted when working with learning disabled people with complex needs.

Promote the vote project enabled 683 learning disabled people to increase their awareness of main political parties, and how democracy operates. In addition course participants increased their understanding and confidence around making choices and voting. 566 workshop participants either registered to vote or expressed their intention to register to vote.

Case study