The presentation will begin by considering the framework for political participation presented in Article 29 of the CRPD (participation in political and public life). It will offer a comparative analysis of how State Parties have been reporting on Article 29 relevant to five key themes: who can vote; accessibility of elections; encouragement/ability to stand for election and hold public office; membership in organizations and associations; and involvement in public affairs. Data from all state CRPD reports available in English (as of 1 January 2016) will be considered in the analysis and both quantitative and qualitative findings will be presented. 

The second portion of the presentation will focus on active engagement in political decision-making (points two and five above) using case studies to highlight examples of approaches to inclusive involvement in public affairs. Personal narratives from people with disabilities involved in influencing political decisions (as elected representatives, independent activists, and members of government advisory committees) in a number of different countries will be used. While topics of physical accommodation will be covered, special attention will be paid to the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in the UK and Ireland (based on the preliminary findings from an ongoing qualitative study).