Disability Action Northern Ireland) evaluated the extent to which the political parties made their manifesto/campaign material accessible to persons with disabilities. In Scotland, Capability Scotland supplemented the findings of the survey on the polling day, by requesting the manifesto materials in alternative formats from the main political parties. The results were as follows: 3 disabled people requested the manifesto in their preferred format: audio, easy read and large print. Conservative Party provided manifestos in each of the formats requested within 2 weeks. Labour provided their manifesto on audio CD and in large print within 2 weeks. The Liberal Democrats provided an easy-read manifesto within 2 weeks. However: Labour sent out a flyer to a disabled voter instead of supplying an easy-read version as requested. The Greens and the Scottish National Party failed to provide their manifestos in alternative formats on request to disabled voters. The Liberal Democrats, the Greens and the Scottish National Party do not anticipate the needs of disabled voters by preparing manifestos in alternative formats in advance. In Northern Ireland, Disability Action Northern Ireland audited the election information material for accessibility. For the Party Election Materials none of the printed materials provided by political parties met all the requirements of the audit. Details of the results of the audit are available on the Disability Action website. For other information, the following outlines the findings of the audit: Audio Large Print - Only three of the five parties contacted were able to send information in the format requested. One party also had a large print version available for download on their website. Audio CD – a gap identified was that audio versions are often only available upon request which means that people often are not aware of its availability. The RNIB attempted to address this gap by approaching the political parties and asking for them to contribute to an audio CD which as then distributed to a mailing list of people who usually receive information in audio format.
Cardiff Council Awaiting information Ballymena Borough Council Not available Argyll and Bute Council 0 North West 16.80% Carmarthenshire County Council Awaiting information Ballymoney Borough Council Not available City of Edinburgh Council 1 South East 11% Ceredigion County Council Not available Banbridge District Council Awaiting information Clackmannanshire Council 0 South West 14.50% Conwy County Borough Council Not available Belfast City Council Not available Comhairle nan Eilean Siar 1 West Midlands 16% Denbighshire County Council Awaiting information Carrickfergus Borough Council Awaiting information Dumfries and Galloway Council Not available Yorkshire & the Humber 12.50% Flintshire County Council 1 Castlereagh Borough Council Not available Dundee City Council 0 London 12% Gwynedd Council 7 Coleraine Borough Council Not available East Ayrshire Council 1 Isle of Anglesey County Council Awaiting information Cookstown District Council Awaiting information East Dunbartonshire Council 0 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council 5 Craigavon Borough Council 0 East Lothian Council Awaiting information Monmouthshire County Council Awaiting information Derry City Council Awaiting information East Renfrewshire Council Not available Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council 9 Down District Council 0 Falkirk Council 0 Newport City Council Awaiting information Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council Awaiting information Fife Council Not available Pembrokeshire County Council 1 Fermanagh District Council Awaiting information Glasgow City Council Not available Powys County Council Awaiting information Larne Borough Council Awaiting information Highland Council Not available
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council 0 Limavady Borough Council 0 Inverclyde Council Not available Swansea City & County Council 8 Lisburn City Council 0 Midlothian Council 18 Councillors only 3 Councillors have replied, 1 stating that they identify as having a disability and the other 2 that they do not Torfaen County Borough Council Awaiting information Magherafelt District Council Awaiting information Moray Council Not available Vale of Glamorgan Council Not available Moyle District Council 0 North Ayrshire Council 0 Wrexham County Borough Council Not available Newry And Mourne District Council 2 members out of 28 councillors North Lanarkshire Council Awaiting information Newtownabbey Borough Council In 2008, 25 members consulted, 12 responded, 1 with disability Orkney Islands Council 0 North Down Borough Council Not available Perth and Kinross Council 0 Omagh District Council 0 Renfrewshire Council Not available Strabane District Council 0 Scottish Borders Council Not available Shetland Islands Council 0