Image caption, James Walker has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome – a severe form of epilepsy. Article information Author, Natalie Bell Role, BBC News
1 hour ago
A man from Hull who cannot walk or talk is urging other people with learning disabilities not to give up on voting in the general election.
James Walker, 26, who has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, said he plans to head to his local polling station on Thursday to vote using eye gaze technology.
Despite recent changes to laws to improve voting access, activists say there are still many misconceptions about the barriers some groups face.
Walker said he has voted since he was 18 and is “excited” to vote again in the upcoming election.
Image courtesy of Gina Walker
Image caption: The 26-year-old has been using eye gaze technology to vote since she was 18
Speaking through eye gaze technology, he said: “Some people think that because they have a learning disability they shouldn’t vote. This is wrong.”
“Legally, I am allowed to vote just like everyone else.
“Exercising my democratic right to vote makes me feel important, but I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t vote. But if I can vote, anyone can.”
“I’m proud to have my right to vote, my voice.”
The 26-year-old, with the help of his mother and carer, Gina Walker, has read all the party manifestos and watched all the TV debates.
She said: “James is into politics.”
“As soon as we start talking about politics his face lights up. He loves watching the debates.”
“We always congratulate James on his vote because we think it’s important that disabled people know they can vote. And when we encounter trolls or people who say, ‘what do people with learning disabilities know’, I respond that James has read the whole manifesto so he’s better read than most people.”
Image caption: Gina Walker says her son is into politics
Mr Walker is taking part in a national campaign by the charity Dimensions which encourages people with learning disabilities to speak up.
Walker’s personal assistant, Kelly Wilson, said Walker’s efforts inspired her to vote.
“I was at work and James and I went to vote and that inspired me to vote too because I thought if James can vote, we should all have a say.”
Walker uses his eyes as a cursor, clicking on words and pictures to construct sentences on the computer.
Image caption: Mr Walker’s personal assistant ‘impressed’ by joy of the vote
His mother said they practice before the big day and James has to say his choice three times so he knows it’s not a mistake.
“I had to show him all the political parties in his line of sight and show him where the parties were on the screen so he could think about who he was going to vote for and know how to vote, because he had to tell us his vote out loud and we had to physically make the sign of the cross.”
“My son needs privacy to talk out loud about his vote, so we always go at quiet time and turn the volume down halfway so he’s almost whispering.”
“I’m interested to know who he’s going to vote for, but he won’t tell me until the day.”