Help us build a clearer picture of disabled representation in Parliament
Disabled people make up around one in four people in the UK, yet there is currently no comprehensive picture of how many Members of Parliament identify as disabled. While some MPs have publicly shared that they are disabled, there is no complete dataset that accurately reflects disabled representation across Parliament.
Understanding representation is an important step towards identifying barriers to political participation and ensuring that lived experience is reflected in decision-making.
About the project
The Disability Policy Centre is undertaking independent research to better understand disabled representation in the current UK Parliament.
As part of this project, we are inviting Members of Parliament to complete a short, confidential survey. The information gathered will help us build the clearest picture yet of disabled representation in Parliament and inform a report on the barriers faced by disabled MPs.
Why this research matters
A better understanding of disabled representation can help to:
Build a clearer picture of disability demographics within Parliament.
Improve our understanding of the experiences of disabled MPs.
Identify where the barriers to political participation still exist.
Champion a culture of accessibility and inclusion in Parliament.
Strengthen the evidence available to policymakers, researchers and disability organisations.
Without reliable data of disabled MPs, it is difficult to measure progress on disabled representation.
How you can help
You can support this research by sending a letter to your Member of Parliament, encouraging them participate.
You can copy our template letter below.
Template letter to your MP
Dear [insert MP's name],
I am a constituent writing to you regarding a research project being conducted by the Disability Policy Centre, the UK’s only disability think tank.
The Disability Policy Centre is currently carrying out the first project of its kind to anonymously establish how many disabled MPs there are in this Parliament. This data has never been collected before, and will help in making evidence-based recommendations on how Parliament and political parties can better represent disabled people.
Disabled people are heavily under-represented in our politics. But we will never know if we are making progress without tracking the number of disabled MPs.
The Disability Policy Centre’s two-minute survey is completely anonymous, and taking part would make a valuable contribution to this important piece of research.
By completing the survey, you would be helping to break down barriers for disabled people and ensure they are better represented at all levels of the political process.
The Disability Policy Centre will be sending out various emails over the summer with the link to the confidential survey.
Please do take part to support us with our efforts in improving disabled political representation.
Kind regards,
[insert your name]