Participation of adults with learning disabilities in the 2015 United Kingdom General Election

Purpose People with learning disabilities may experience discrimination which prevents them from exercising choice and control over their right to participate in democratic processes. Design/methodology/approach Taking data collected by social workers during a campaign from the 2015 UK General Election, this paper analyses the variables associated with higher rates of democratic participation by people with learning disabilities. Findings The present authors undertook secondary analysis on data collected by social workers supporting adults with learning disabilities who were living in community housing units. 1,019 people with learning disabilities who were living in 124 community housing units in one English county gave consent to participate. 84% were registered to vote and 26% cast a vote on polling day. People were significantly more likely to cast a vote if they lived in a housing unit where they understood their rights (Waldx^2=4.896, p=0.027). Practical implications Our analyses are consistent with...