Innovative Practice 2019 on Independent Living and Political Participation
Study circles for persons with intellectual disabilities to engage in voting
| Name of Innovative Practice: | My Choice/My Election |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan |
| Country of Implementation | Sweden |
PROBLEMS TARGETED
Many people with intellectual disabilities do not vote in elections, as they may find it difficult to understand what the vote is about and/or how to vote due to inaccessible information and complex political language.
SOLUTION, INNOVATION, AND IMPACT
Copyright: Peter Timar Lonneborg
Persons with intellectual disabilities meet in small study circles where everyone is active and the participants themselves decide on the topics for discussion. The circles are complemented with easy-read study materials and DAISY-formatted texts (an international technical standard for digital audiobooks). A leader teaches voting practices and Swedish democracy and supports the participants to find answers to questions by gathering information from parties and the media. The leader also arranges discussions with active politicians, who are trained in easy language before entering the conversation.
The study circles were first used for the 2014 elections, in which 300 participants took part across 50 groups, with 80 per cent voting. In the 2018 elections, 650 participants took part in 109 study circles, and 2,470 people with disabilities took part in 49 discussions with politicians. After receiving feedback from My choice/My election, the Swedish Democracy Commission began adding party logos to ballot papers next to the party names, thus enabling easier recognition of their party affiliation. Additionally, the mayor of Jönköping commissioned a video to explain the City Council’s most important decisions in easy-language.
FUNDING, OUTLOOK AND TRANSFERABILITY
Starting in 2018, the project has been offering online education via videos and exercises aimed for politicians to learn how to write easy read. Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan is also looking to offer further democracy information between election years via existing study circles that discuss empowerment in everyday life.
The basic model is replicable and there is a willingness to share the method with other organizations, with a presentation having taken place with Inclusion International.
My choice/My election was funded by the National Inheritance Fund in 2014 with €400,000, after which it was incorporated into Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan’s largely state-funded popular education programme. Some participating municipalities have also contributed smaller grants.
Copyright: Peter Timar Lonneborg
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