By Mencap
Did you know? There used to be a rule that MPs could only ask certain Certain means you are sure about something. questions in Parliament Parliament is a group of people who make laws and check what the government is doing. if they were wearing a top hat. Thankfully, things have moved on, but some practices in the Houses of Parliament are still out of date and need a refresh. This is especially true when it comes to accessibility Accessibility is about making it easier for someone to join in, get, use or do something. . This is what the Parliamentary Modernisation Committee has been trying to tackle.
The Houses of Parliament should be representing the best interests of everyone
However, some groups have for too long been left out of the conversation. A lack of accessibility in Parliament has prevented certain groups of people from being able to access both the building and the systems. People with a learning disability A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. are one of these groups.
Modernisation doesn’t happen automatically, it takes effort.
Mencap has been working with the Modernisation Committee to see how we can make Parliament more
accessible
Accessible means something is easy for people to use or join in with. For example: Accessible writing means the writing is easy to read and understand.
for people with a learning disability. Our colleagues who have a learning disability have been presenting the committee with insights, using their
experience
Experience is when you have learned or tried something before.
and lived expertise. As Mencap’s Parliament
spokesperson
A spokesperson is someone who speaks up about something. They usually speak up on behalf of a group or organisation.
for people with a learning disability, Ismail is no stranger to speaking to MPs.
He attended the Modernisation Committee in person to share his and his colleagues’ ideas and concerns. Ismail made suggestions on how to tackle some of the barriers faced by people with a learning disability, like trying to understand the language used in Parliament. Part of Ismail’s role involves converting government bills into the Easy Read Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing. format, so he understands better than anyone what gets lost in translation.
Ismail talks about how to improve accessibility in Parliament
In this video Ismail directs the Modernisation Committee on how they can communicate in an accessible way.
Other colleagues with a learning disability who have attended Parliament include: Mencap’s Engagement Lead, Ciara, and Vijay, our Campaigns Assistant.
Ismail used his calm and direct delivery to do justice to his and his colleague’s valuable contributions. One idea they came up with that was discussed, was adding hospital-style, color-coded directional lines to the ground in Parliament, to help people find their way around.
Ismail posed to the room the simple but powerful statement: “If you want to learn from people with a learning disability, hire them.”
These colleagues have made a huge impact. They have begun to shape the future of Parliament, breaking the old rulebook of who is and isn’t accounted for at the round table.
Thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund for their generous grant, funding this work.
Victoria Wright
Ismail Kaji