NEARLY half of disabled people feel ignored and forgotten by political parties campaigning for the general election, a new survey showed today. 

Disability charity Sense polled 1,000 people with complex disabilities and found that 47 per cent believe disabled people and the problems they face are not important to political parties.

The same percentage said that politicians do not do enough to engage disabled people to secure their vote.

A third said that they believe their vote will not make a difference to disabled people’s lives and, perhaps unsurprisingly, one in four said they were not optimistic that life for disabled people would improve under the next government.

Disabled people make up 24 per cent of Britain’s population and a disproportionate number of them live in poverty or on a low income.

Sense called on the next government to introduce a plan to improve the lives of the disabled.

Its recommendations include better funding for social care, ensuring the affordability of essentials and giving every disabled child equal access to education.

Mohammed Azeem, who is visually impaired, said: “I’ve been voting for so many years and it hasn’t made any difference or brought any change.

“Even if I do vote, it won’t make a difference.

“Political parties are doing their thing, but when it comes to us or listening to our views, nothing gets done.

“Disabled people need to be part of manifestos. At the moment, we're not being heard and change isn't happening.”

Sense chief executive Richard Kramer said: “It’s a disgrace that disabled people, and the societal inequalities they face, have received so little attention by politicians during the election campaign.

“It’s unsurprising, then, that so few disabled people believe that life will improve under a new UK government. But it must improve.”