The Cambridgeshire Deaf Association (CDA) is hosting the event in Peterborough on Thursday. It will include captioning and interpreters who use British Sign Language.
This is the second accessible debate that the CDA is hosting, and its goal is to facilitate guests’ questioning of candidates about the problems that those with disabilities or hearing impairments encounter.
The CDA’s chief executive, Andy Palmer, said that choosing candidates is difficult when the concerns “are not actually in a language that people can access.”
“People want to go into a voting booth knowing who they want to vote for,” he told the BBC. It’s difficult, in my opinion, to develop that notion until some of your concerns have been addressed.”Unfortunately, when people’s interests aren’t being discussed, it might be hard for them to decide what they want to vote for.
Even worse is when they’re discussed but not in a language that most people can understand.
“It’s really important, especially during an election, that people have as much information as possible before they make their decisions.”
The event is expected to be live-streamed, and the organizers anticipate that themes such as hate crimes, benefits, employment, the planned modifications to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), education, health, and care will all be covered.
Participating candidates include the Liberal Democrat, Labour, and Conservative ones.
It will take place at the Allia Future Business Centre in Peterborough on Thursday, June 27, at 18:30 BST.
