April 22: LICHFIELD'S Labour Parliamentary candidate Steve Hyden has backed disability charity Scope's Polls Apart campaign.

The campaign aims to ensure disabled people have the same access to voting as everyone else.

The Westminster hopeful is now calling on Lichfield District Council to ensure all polling stations are accessible to disabled people.

This could include changes such as installing temporary ramps or ensuring polling station staff have disability equality training.

Mr Hyden will also be taking part in a survey of local polling stations on polling day looking at access.


He said: "We still struggle to provide and understand the needs of disabled people when it comes to casting their vote. Voting is our democratic right.

"I hope that others will join me in completing this survey to change things for the better and open up voting to more disabled people.

"In a modern democracy it is simply not acceptable that so many disabled people are still denied the right to vote due to facilities which fall short when it comes to meeting their needs."

This week a spokesman for election authority Lichfield District Council confirmed all the district's polling stations will be accessible for election day, May 6.


Source: http://www.thisislichfield.co.uk