Prospective MPs urged to sign pledge to help disabled children

The Every Disabled Child Matters campaign (EDCM) is urging all election candidates to sign a constituency pledge that has been endorsed by 40 organisations working with disabled children.

If candidates are elected to represent their constituency as an MP, the pledge will commit them to meeting with local disabled children and their families, visit the services they use and raise issues of concern in Parliament.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls and Lib Dem children's spokeswoman Annette Brooke were among the early signatories to the pledge.

The five commitments of the EDCM Constituency Pledge for England are:

• Meet with disabled children, young people and their families to discuss key issues of concern to them

• Raise these issues of concern and promote rights and resources for disabled children, young people and families in Parliament

• Visit local services for disabled children and their families on a regular basis

• Support measures to transform services for disabled children and their families, such as the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme in England

• Find out how funding is being used in my constituency to improve services for disabled children, young people and their families.
  

There is also a pledge for UK devolved nations, for MPs in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Children with Disabilities Strategic Alliance Northern Ireland, Disabled Children Matter Wales and For Scotland's Disabled Children have endorsed this.

Meanwhile, EDCM has also launched a campaigning toolkit to help supporters to engage their local candidates in a debate on issues for disabled children.

Christine Lenehan, EDCM board member and director of the Council for Disabled
Children, said: "Despite recent funding and policy focus, disabled children and their families still face unnecessary barriers in accessing the services and support they need to lead ordinary lives.

"If services for disabled children are to be transformed, every MP in the country must be committed to promoting rights and resources for disabled children and their families in their constituency. We urge every prospective MP to sign the EDCM Constituency Pledge in the run-up to the general election."