Emma Bishop is the MP for complex needs with the learning disability parliament in Devon. The learning disability parliament is run by Devon Link Up, a user-led charity that has been supporting people with a learning disability since 1991.

Emma has a real passion to make services and amenities accessible to everyone and has spoken to her local MP Neil Parish about her work. Emma met her MP through RADAR’s MP Dialogue Campaign and has now been invited to the campaign reception at The Palace of Westminster.

The learning disability Parliament project supports people to speak up for the things that are important to them and so make services better.

Parliament MPs work with community groups, town councils and government-run organisations to raise the voice of people with learning disabilities.

Emma’s work

I have worked with Living Options Devon to try and get better signage to the Changing Places toilet in Exeter, also making the Tourist Information Centre and Shopmobility aware of the facility. I wrote to 27 residential homes for people with a learning disability in Exeter and East Devon, raising awareness and promoting the Changing Places Toilet.

I have also worked with Fulfilling Lives in Honiton and created a poster that has been displayed at Honiton Tourist Information Centre, letting visitors know of the Specially Adapted Toilet that is available. This was also promoted through the local paper. I have done a lot of work raising awareness of the Changing Places toilet in Exeter and tell people what I do and would now like to put all my energies into trying to get another toilet opened in Devon.

There is a new Sainsbury’s opening in my home town of Ottery St Mary and I plan to work with councillor Roger Giles in contacting them. Devon Link Up has helped me achieve all this by supporting my work as an MP with the Learning Disability Parliament. I like my job as an MP and I love my work.