A group of 22 supported housing tenants, who have a range of disabilities, can now make an informed choice when they vote on 6th May thanks to a specially designed event in Stanford-Le-Hope , Essex. 

At the event, they were given the opportunity to question local candidates from the three main political parties- Angela Smith (Labour), Geoff Williams (Liberal Democrats) and Stephen Metcalf (Conservative) who all accepted the invitation to come and answer questions from adults who all have either an aquired brain injury, learning difficulties or mental health issues.  

"Our tenants told us they generally just voted the way their family and friends do and it became clear to us they needed more information to help them decide which party they actually wanted to give their vote to.  So we invited the MP candidates to come and answer some questions which our tenants felt directly affected them and their communities", said Angela Moriarty, Scheme Manager for Family Mosaic who organised the event.

Questions included "how will you ensure equality for people with disabilities?", "What is being done to support people with a disability back into work?", "What are you doing to get more police patrolling the streets?" and  "What will you do to maintain pathways for people with disabilities to make access easier for wheelchairs?"

The answers the candidates gave to these and other questions now mean that a group of vulnerable adults who may either have not voted or voted with the traditions of their family and friends are now eager to cast their vote and have their say in decisions which they now understand directly affect their lives.

The event was followed up on Sunday when a mock-up of a poling station was used to show tenants what will happen when they go to the polling station to vote.