The co-produced Good Lives Manifesto, published in May 2024, sets out important changes that key groups of people would like to see in the next government. These groups consist of people with learning disabilities, families and organisations that work with them.
There is a long version of the manifesto, an easy read version, a one-page summary and a briefing document. They are supported by Learning Disability England (LDE) and hosted on their website.
The Good Lives Manifesto contains six big aims that all political candidates are asked to support. These include championing the rights of people, reforming social care so it meets their rights and provides fair pay, effective health service provision, employment opportunities and housing access.
The sixth aim calls on politicians to make the general election on 4 July accessible to all.
Shaping the manifesto
Good Lives has been an ongoing project since 2020, when people with learning disabilities, families and organisations started to discuss what they felt it meant to live a good life. This led to Good Lives: Building Change Together – a framework published in 2022. With a general election in 2024, the time was right to develop the new document.
Members of our self-advocacy group Campaign 4 Change took part in consultations on the manifesto at the LDE conference in February. They also answered an online survey on their priorities to help shape the final documents.
Collectively, they said: “We feel positive and delighted to have been part of creating the Good Lives Manifesto. We feel optimistic that we can empower other people to use their voice.
“We would like to encourage the political candidates to always use co-production and work in partnership with people with lived experience of social care in order to shape its future.
Read more about the manifesto and download the various document versions from the LDE website – Good Lives Manifesto 2024 – Learning Disability England
Click to view the Campaign 4 Change Good Lives Manifesto video
Click on the infographic to see a larger version
