Ismail Kaji
Being Mencap’s parliamentary and government engagement officer means I’m always speaking to MPs about making life better for 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. . Now it’s time to do that at some of the biggest events of the year.
Political party conferences
Right now is one of the most exciting times of the year for me... It's time for the political party conferences! They're the big events the political parties put on each year to talk about their plans for the country, and what they would do if they were in power.
There's always a great atmosphere at the conferences. I'm going to the Labour and Conservative ones this year, and have been to them many times in the past. Some of my colleagues have already been to other conferences this month. There's only one of me so I can't go to them all!
As a Mencap
spokesperson
A spokesperson is someone who speaks up about something. They usually speak up on behalf of a group or organisation.
representing people with a learning disability, it's really important to take the chance to meet as many MPs, politicians, and people who are in a position to make change happen. My role is to tell them about Mencap's work and talk about how they can make the UK a better place if you live with a learning disability.
My lived experience
As someone with a learning disability who works at Mencap, I'm really passionate about sharing my lived
experience
Experience is when you have learned or tried something before.
and talking about the challenges people like me face every day. Whether that's with getting the right healthcare, opportunities for
education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
and work, or accessing
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
, there's still lots that needs to change so people with a learning disability get the same chances as anyone else.
I'll meet a lot of politicians over the next few weeks and I'll do my best to tell them about those challenges. I'll also spend a lot of time at what are called fringe events. These are smaller meetings that have a focus on topics like education, social care,
employment
Employment means having a job.
, or health.
They're usually discussion-based, with a panel of experts, politicians,
council
A council is also called a local authority. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
members, or people with relevant experience, and the audience can ask them questions like what a political party is going to do to help people and their plans. The panel also talks about what
the government
The Government are the people who run the country. They decide how much tax people should pay for things and how things like the National Health Service should work.
should be doing in their opinion.
I want to find out more about each party's plans to make sure people with a learning disability are getting the best chances in life. As someone with lived experience of the challenges people with a learning disability face, I'm going to get my voice heard.
The fringe events are a good way of meeting people who can help create change. I really like networking and telling people about Mencap and the work we do. It's important to get the message out to as many people as possible, because you don't know where they could be in the future.
Previous party conferences
I remember the first party conference I ever went to was a Labour one, years ago, and I met an MP called Andy Burnham. He made the time to talk to me and was really interested in hearing about what Mencap was doing.
I think he's a bit busier these days now he's the
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the leader of the government.
so I don't think I'll get the chance this year to chat to him again, but I'd love the chance to talk to him if he was available! But you never know – I might meet another future PM at a conference this time.
It's not just about meeting people at party conferences.
It's about building strong
relationships
Relationships are about the people in your life. You might have different types of relationships like friendships, family relationships, or a boyfriend or girlfriend.
with politicians so they are aware of what Mencap does to help people with a learning disability, and we can learn about what their priorities are as well. Then we can plan how we can work together wherever possible in future.
Once the conferences are over, we won't stop engaging with MPs in Parliament and pushing for positive changes.