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Published Monday, 1 March, 2010 – 11:17
Autism campaigners have appealed for disability issues to be included in the first ever Leadership Debates on British Television, during the General Election of 2010. The UK Autism Foundation has called on ITV News, SKy News and BBC News to include the serious concerns of the disability community in the UK in the television debates. History is in the making with leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg facing each other in the first ever Leadership debates in Britain.
Ivan Corea of the UK Autism Foundation said: ‘ I have written to Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg as well as Alistair Stewart of ITV News, Adam Boulton of Sky News and David Dimbleby of BBC News urging them to highlight the concerns of the disability community including the concerns of parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, in the televised leadership debates during the General Election. They must not forget the vulnerable,’ he said.
UKAF has been urging Her Majesty’s Government to provide more support for poor families and people with autism and Asperger’s Sundrome in the UK. They maintain that the recession has driven many more disabled people into poverty. Some families are facing re-possessions of their homes. Others are still struggling as a result of the postcode lottery to public services in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care. Many have to fight for a few hours of respite care.
There are 8.6 million registered disabled people in the UK, totalling 14% of the population.(DRC) There are over 500,000 people with autism in the United Kingdom – if you add the numbers of parents and carers, you are looking at over a million people touched by autism. They are all voters too.
Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg have been urged by the UK Autism Foundation to spell out their plans for Autism in the General Election.