Charter launched to boost disabled candidates in politics

Adam Johannes

Disability Wales is urging political parties to sign up to a set of commitments aimed at getting more Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people into elected office, sparking fresh debate about who really gets a voice in Welsh politics.

The organisation says its Access to Politics Charter is a “groundbreaking” step towards tackling Wales’s democratic “representation gap”. Developed by the Access to Politics Grassroots Network, made up largely of disabled people and Welsh Government-funded, the Charter sets out “practical measures” to dismantle barriers preventing many would-be candidates from entering public life.

Despite more than one in five people in Wales identifying as Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent, the network says their voices remain largely absent from council chambers and the Senedd: “The absence of disabled people in decision-making roles means that policies and services are not informed by lived experience.”

The Charter lays out a “clear, practical” set of commitments for parties that are serious about including disabled people in public life. It urges parties to “support… full, equal and equitable participation in every aspect of political activities” and to “work proactively to identify and remove barriers” rather than treating accessibility as a box-ticking exercise. Disabled people’s political engagement, it says, must be “embedded” in every party’s culture.

Political parties must create “safe, confidential spaces” for candidates to disclose impairments or health conditions “without fear of prejudice”. and “publish a roadmap outlining how we will challenge discrimination”.

Accessible

Meetings and events must only be held in venues that are “accessible, also by public transport, with appropriate seating, signage, and accessible toilets”. Digital platforms including websites, social media posts and online communications must “meet recognised accessibility standards”, and campaign materials must follow “inclusive design principles” and be available in fully accessible formats.

All elected officers, staff, and party members must receive “disability equality training”. The training would cover areas such as the social model of disability, that rejects the idea of disability as an individual medical problem, instead highlighting how society disables through through prejudice, inaccessible environments, exclusion, and a refusal to redistribute power.

One of the most striking proposals is job-sharing in the Senedd, described as a way to make public office “more accessible to individuals who face barriers to full-time political engagement”. The Charter notes that Senedd staff and trade unions already use job-sharing successfully.

The initiative mirrors similar work in Scotland, where Inclusion Scotland’s Charter has already been signed by all six major political parties.

Kat Watkins, Access to Politics Project Officer at Disability Wales, said: “This Charter is about creating real change. It’s about ensuring that disabled people are not just consulted but represented in the rooms where decisions about their lives are made. The Social Model of Disability teaches us: ‘Nothing about us without us.’ This Charter puts that principle into action.”