At the end of April we attended a meeting with the Disability Minister, hosted by Centenary Action, to discuss the barriers disabled women face in politics and what more can be done to improve representation.

We were pleased to be joined by Helen Pankhurst, Liz Speight, Sarabajaya Kumar, Fazilet Hadi MBE from Disability Rights UK, and Hilary Balogun from the Girlguiding Advocate Panel. Bringing together a range of voices and experiences helped to create a valuable discussion on how politics can become more accessible and inclusive for disabled women.

The meeting focused on the challenges disabled women continue to face when engaging in political life and the practical steps that can be taken to improve representation at all levels. Ensuring that disabled women are able to participate fully in politics is essential to creating a democratic system that reflects the diversity of our society.

During the discussion, we raised the importance of reinstating the Access to Elected Office Fund, which previously provided support to disabled people seeking elected office, this was one of our recommendations in our Breaking down Barriers report. We also highlighted findings from our recent Accessible Voting Research and the need for continued action to remove barriers that prevent disabled people from fully participating in our democracy.

It was a constructive and productive meeting, bringing together organisations and advocates committed to improving accessibility and representation in politics. We welcome the opportunity to contribute to these important discussions and look forward to continuing to work with partners across the sector to help create a more inclusive political system.