Voting and making your own decisions
Easy Read by Innovate Trust
We all need to make our voices heard.
This is good for our wellbeing.
Making our voices heard also helps our communities.
Different ideas help make things better for everyone.
Here is more information about voting and taking part in the way our communities work.
There are links to videos and more Easy Read pages.
We live in a democracy.
This means that our votes help to decide how our country is run.
You have the right to vote if you are a British citizen or the citizen of some other countries.
Sometimes people with a learning disability have not been able to vote, but this is wrong.
You have the right vote.
Voting is a decision.
Having a disability does not stop you deciding things.
So why is it important to vote?
Think about yourself.
You are the expert on the way you want to live your life.
You should make the decisions about what is best for your wellbeing.
In Wales there is a law that says you are the best person to know how you want to live and be supported.
Voting is another way to make decisions about your ideas and beliefs.
It is also an important way to help make your communities better.
Voting in elections has helped to make all the laws that give us equal rights.
The Human Rights Act is a law which gives us the right to fairness, equality, dignity and respect in our lives.
The Equality Act makes it illegal to discriminate in the workplace, shops and other places.
This law means every worker must get a basic minimum wage.
It has helped people with disabilities get the money they deserve for the job they do.
Some people are worried about voting in elections.
This might be for lots of reasons.
Some people are told they should not vote because they have a disability.
This is not true, voting is for everyone.
Voting works best when everyone in the community votes.
This means everyone’s voices can be heard about the things that are important to them.
Some people do not vote because they think that they do not know enough about politics.
You do not need to know lots about politics to vote.
Think about what is important to you and your life.
Think about what is important your friends, family and and where you live.
Now you can find out which political parties could help you.
You can find out more about what political parties believe by visiting the library or looking online.
You can find out more about political parties by looking at our Easy Read resource ‘The main political parties in the UK’.
Talk about these things with your friends.
You can find out more information together.
You can contact your local councillor or MP to ask them questions.
They are there to help you.
Remember:
- Your Vote
- Your Voice
- Your Right
