Open Letter to Prospective Candidates for Local Elections

A plea to engage with disabled people and their unpaid carers

Dear Prospective Councillor

I am reaching out to you as I believe you are standing to be a prospective local Councillor in the UK Local Elections

As the mother and unpaid carer of two young people with disabilities I am particularly interested in your approach to promoting inclusion and acceptance within the area you hope to represent. What does inclusion mean to you? How do you intend to promote it?

Decisions on SEND, social care support and health equipment are taken at a County Council level, and I would be interested in your thoughts on how a local Councillor can show their support for disabled children and young people and their unpaid carers. Respite and replacement care are issues that need support from Councillors across the board. Young disabled people need social care support so that they can get out into society, work and realise the ambitions they have for themselves. They need access to a supportive education system that views them as valuable individuals who have their own ambitions and contributions to make.

Unpaid carers, whether they are parent carers, sibling carers, young carers or people caring for their partners, all need to be recognised for the part they play in ensuring that the most vulnerable in our society have their needs met. Unfortunately, this often means that an unpaid carer will find themselves exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally due to a lack of respite and support. Elected local Councillors need to be prepared to meet with unpaid carers and disabled people, hear their stories and act in their best interests.

Many children miss out on childhood experiences because they do not have access to the correct equipment that will allow them to take part, for example a walking frame or a wheelchair, and the play areas are not accessible. Accessibility does not just mean a roundabout that can be used with a wheelchair, it also means different types of equipment that cater for both physical and sensory experiences.

Any park that is earmarked to have its facilities upgraded should have a Council that is liaising with an organisation such as PiPA Play to ensure that the play facilities are inclusive for as many children as possible.

Councils should also be looking to include a changing places toilet and Councillors should be supporting the addition of these toilets that mean so many more people can be included and have access to areas where they are placed.

I would urge anyone putting themselves forward to become a local County Councillor to actively seek out the views of disabled people – children, young people and older – and their unpaid carers and engage with the issues that matter to them.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Donna Giles

If the issues above reasonate with you please feel free to either share or copy this letter to send to your local candidates.

Hopefully, through engagement, and the telling of our stories, we can build a society to be proud of