Support for disabled councillors and candidates

Councillors play a vital role in shaping the future of their communities and improving the quality of life of local people. We need people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect the communities that they serve. We are delivering a package of support for currently elected disabled councillors, and disabled people who are considering becoming a councillor.


Our support offer for disabled councillors and candidates, which is funded by the UK Government, is designed to increase the representation of disabled people in local politics and accelerate their development to become leaders in local government. It covers the whole life cycle of a councillor: from taking that first step to stand for election, to developing your leadership skills as an experienced councillor.

A campaign to attract more disabled candidates

Our Be a Councillor campaign inspires people who are passionate about their communities to stand for election and become local leaders. As part of this, we have developed a bespoke national campaign to encourage disabled people to find out more about becoming a councillor.

We are taking a holistic approach to inspire a new generation of disabled councillors, but also recognise that there are practical considerations. That is why we have developed our guide for disabled councillors – Improving access to local government elected office for disabled people  and a practical checklist for councils and political groups. These resources aim to increase awareness, accessibility and inclusion at every stage of becoming a councillor.

Disabled Councillors Leadership Programme

We have partnered with Disability Rights UK to offer a bespoke leadership programme for disabled councillors. We are committed to supporting under-represented groups in local government and we understand the value of providing councillors with learning opportunities alongside peers with shared experience.

One-to-one coaching for disabled councillors

Coaching provides a powerful reflective space for councillors to grow and develop as leaders. Our highly effective coaching programme offers disabled councillors free one-to-one coaching sessions focused on personal leadership development. 

The coaching sessions provide councillors with a safe space to examine, explore and reflect on their leadership style, strengthen their resilience, and build confidence to be brilliant community leaders.

The opportunity is open to councillors from any political party, including independents. The coaching consists of a one-hour chemistry coaching call, followed by three one-hour coaching sessions held monthly via Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

To find out more, or to book your place, please email [email protected]