Everyone should be able to register and vote without facing barriers. They should be able to vote on their own and in secret.

While there have been significant improvements, we know there is still more to be done to improve the voting experience for disabled people.

Their voting rights are not always communicated in an accessible way, some do not have the support they need when registering to vote or voting and others face barriers when they go to a polling station or vote by post.

Changes we want to see

We’re calling on the UK's governments, political parties and those who run elections to make voting more accessible for all.

The UK's governments must:

  • make changes to election forms so that they’re easier to understand
  • give disabled people more ways to vote

Political parties must:

  • make sure their information is easy to read and understand
  • make sure they send their information in good time so everyone can read it
  • publish accessible versions of manifestos at the same time as other versions

People running elections must:

  • make registering to vote and voting more accessible
  • make helplines more accessible. It’s not always clear what people need to do next
  • support anyone who needs help to vote

What's available now

We make sure that everyone can register to vote and that they have a good experience of voting.

  • We provide accessible information on registering to vote and voting, and easy read guides.
  • We provide guidance for returning officers to use to make their polling stations accessible.

Find out more about what’s available now for those with access needs

The Elections Act 2022 made changes to what help is available to people voting in a polling station. These changes will apply to UK parliamentary general elections, Northern Ireland Assembly and local elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales, and local elections in England.

Find out more about the changes in the UK Elections Act.

Under the Elections Act 2022, we will have a duty to provide guidance to Returning Officers (ROs) on the requirement to provide reasonable equipment to assist disabled voters in polling stations.

View our guidance

Report on accessibility of elections

In 2017, we published a report about the experiences of disabled people at the 2017 general election.

This was in response to the UK government’s call for evidence on how disabled people experience registering to vote and voting.

Read the full report