A £2.6 million fund to help disabled people overcome barriers to becoming councillors, police and crime commissioners or MPs has been launched by the government.
It will offer individual grants of between £250 and £10,000 to disabled people who want to be selected as candidates for an election, or who are standing for election.
The money will help meet the additional costs a candidate with disabilities may face in standing for election, such as extra transport or sign-language interpreters.
The equalities minister Lynne Featherstone said: “The ten million disabled people in the UK are under-represented in public life and we are making an important step towards levelling the playing field.
“Encouraging disabled people to make their voices heard will not only help individuals fulfil their potential but will enrich and improve our politics at local and national level.”
The new support will first apply to the election of Police and Crime Commissioners in November this year.
The fund and a new online training are part of the government’s Access to Elected Office Strategy which also includes paid internships for disabled candidates on the Speaker’s Parliamentary Placement scheme.
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