Measures to make Parliament inclusive: we respond

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Monday 6th July 2026 - 11:41

The UK House of Commons room without anybody in it

(Image courtesy of UK Parliament, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

The Inclusive Parliament Coalition urges the House of Commons to include communication needs to its accessibility improvement plan.

The story so far…

Two years ago, a 'modernisation' committee was set up to look at making the House of Commons a more accessible environment. It invited the public to make suggestions on what they'd like to see.

In response, STAMMA and the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists formed the 'Inclusive Parliament Coalition' to put together a submission. Representing over 30 organisations, the coalition submitted a list of recommendations for putting people in Parliament with communication differences and disabilities on a more even footing.

After considering all the submissions, the committee published its report last December. Although broadly welcomed by the coalition, we expressed concern that its recommendations didn't go far enough for people with communication needs.

Communication needs not covered

Earlier this March, the House of Commons Administration — the body that would put the Modernisation Committee's accessibility recommendations into practice — responded, setting out its plans for improvements.

In a statement on the 1^st July, the Inclusive Parliament Coalition expressed its concerns with the response. Although it commended the House Administration for recognising that people with disabilities need to be considered, it highlighted that their plans focused on physical accessibility, for example improving toilets for wheelchair users, but not those with communication needs.

We therefore urged the House Administration to work with the coalition to 'deliver the practical, systemic changes required to ensure Parliament is accessible to and inclusive of everyone'.

Read the Inclusive Parliament Coalition's statement (1^st July).