One in five working-age adults is disabled, meaning a truly representative Parliament should include around 156 disabled MPs. However, analysis by Dr Stefanie Reher and Professor Elizabeth Evans after the July 2024 election, reveals that only 10 MPs have disclosed a disability, eight of whom are women. Disabled women face compounded barriers to elected office, amplifying discrimination and limiting diverse perspectives in policymaking. A truly representative democracy requires disabled voices to ensure laws reflect their lived experiences. To address this, a strategy grounded in the social model of disability is necessary, removing societal barriers and supporting disabled MPs once in office.
Our report, Breaking down barriers: Empowering disabled women in politics, created in collaboration with Deaf and Disabled Peoples’ Organisations (DDPOs) and advocates for women’s political participation, outlines the key barriers disabled women face in politics and offers recommendations to improve accessibility and representation. You can read the large print version here.
Disabled women in politics network
In partnership with our friends at the Disability Policy Centre and Elect Her, we currently run a regular roundtable for disabled women active in politics and Disability organisations to come together, share experience and learnings, and take forward campaigns to remove the barriers for disabled women in politics. To find out more: contact@thedpc.org.uk
Calls Grow for Section 106 and Access to Elected Office During Passage of the Representation of the People Bill
The Representation of the People Bill is currently progressing through Parliament and presents an important opportunity to advance issues we have been campaigning on for some...
Evidence to the Representation of the People Bill Committee
With our partners at 50:50 Parliament we submitted evidence to the Representation of the People Bill Committee. Our two main recommendations were adding amendments to the bill...
Letter to the Minister for Disability
Following our Disabled Women in Politics event we wrote to Minister for Disability, Stephen Timms MP. See below for the text of the letter: Dear Minister The Government’s...
Disabled Women in Politics event
On Monday 20th October 2025 we brought together a panel made up of female politicians, activists and academics to discuss how to break down the barriers to representation faced...
Centenary Action welcomes establishment of Access to Elected Office Steering Group
Centenary Action welcomed the establishment of the new Access to Elected Office steering group, which aims to support disabled candidates and explore funding for disability...
Submission to the Modernisation Committee Inquiry into Access to the House of Commons
We submitted evidence to the Modernisation Committee inquiry into Access to the House of Commons and its procedures with input from our Academic Advisory Group, partner...
Breaking down barriers: Empowering disabled women in politics
Read our latest report Breaking down barriers: Empowering disabled women in politics, created in collaboration with Deaf and Disabled Peoples’ Organisations (DDPOs) and advocates...
The Next Government Must Take Action on Disabled Representation
In this blog Chloe Schendel-Wilson reflects on the representation of disabled people in politics and the key areas where The Disability Policy Centre is campaigning for change...
Disabled Representation in Parliament article published by Chamber UK
Centenary Action’s Dr Sarabajaya Kumar wrote for Chamber UK on why more action is needed to support d/Deaf and disabled general election candidates. You can read the article...
Joint statement with Disability Rights UK on the Government’s Disability Action Plan
Joint statement from Disability Rights UK and Centenary Action on the Government's Disability Action Plan, Feb 2024. Despite recognising the disproportionate barriers that...
Over 40 organisations call for the reinstatement of the Access to Elected Office Fund
With our partners the Disability Policy Centre and Disability Rights UK, Centenary Action coordinated a joint statement calling for the reinstatement of the Access to Elected...
Joint submission to the government’s Disability Action Plan consultation
On 6th October 2023 Centenary Action, Disability Rights UK, Disability Policy Centre and Elect Her submitted the below response to the government's Disability Action Plan...
Online roundtable on the Government’s Disability Action Plan
On Wednesday 13th September, in collaboration with Elect Her, Disability Policy Centre and Disability Rights UK, we held two online roundtables on 'What do disabled women...
Statement on the Government’s Disability Action Plan Consultation
“We are pleased to note that as part of the Government’s Disability Action Plan Consultation, they will be reviewing the past and present forms of funding for disabled...
How can we break down the barriers to d/Deaf and Disabled women’s involvement in politics?
Working with our partner organisations Disability Policy Centre and Elect Her we brought together a fantastic panel of cross party speakers to examine how the political parties...
Disabled women need better representation in parliament
Following publication of the Centenary Action's report, Overcoming the barriers to disabled women’s involvement in politics, Dr. Sarabajaya Kumar, Centenary Action Steering Group...
Disabled women in politics
Read our latest report, Overcoming the barriers to disabled women’s involvement in politics, which highlights the key issues and recommendations for change raised by our network...
Inquiry into Access to Elected Office
July 2021