An update on Scope’s worthy election campaign on access to voting –

We’d love to hear about your voting experiences, from previous elections or election day this year. You can share these in a few ways:

· on Twitter – hash tag your updates #PollsApart

· by sharing pictures of the outside of your polling station on http://www.flickr.com/photos/ttge/sets/72157623292734659/

· by posting a message on the wall onhttp://www.facebook.com/Scope

With less than 10 days to go before the General Election do you think that politicians are listening to disabled people’s opinions and addressing your concerns?

If not, then now is the time to get involved!

TheNational Disabled People’s Pollis the first comprehensive poll of disabled people’s views on politics, the political parties and voting. It aims to amplify the voices of disabled people and their families and ensure that your experiences and opinions are heard by politicians and the media, as well as companies and other decision-makers.

Visithttp://www.comres.co.uk/surveys/nationaldisabledpeoplespoll/to have your say.

If you’re passionate about getting disabled people’s voices heard there’s more you can do. The National Disabled People’s Panel is supporting the Polls Apart campaign to ensure disabled people have equal access to the voting process.

At the last general election thousands of disabled voters experienced barriers to voting.

‘I had to shout from outside two sets of doors to try and get someone to help.  Eventually another voter asked someone to come out to me. There was no provision at all for disabled people, I had to vote in a car park, and pass my vote to a strange to put in the box (I hope they did). To top it all it was raining, and I had to wait outside during all this.’

Disabled voter

The Polls Apart campaign aims to end this exclusion and ensure that disabled people can vote in secret, and with dignity, just like everyone else. You can help, so get involved:

I have 2 minutes

Find out if your polling station will be accessible to disabled people on election day by visiting www.pollsapart.org.uk

I have 7 minutes

Contact your local authority elections department and ask them about access arrangements for disabled voters and let us know what they say at:www.pollsapart.org.uk

I have 10 minutes

Download the Polls Apart access survey and fill it in when you vote. Sharing your experience of voting will help to change things for the better.