Democracy is under increasing pressure around the world, with autocrats, authoritarians and outright fascists on the rise. But what if we can go beyond defending the systems we have, and reimagine democracy as something deeper? What if we take on the challenge of this time as a moment to renew the whole idea of this word that literally means “people power”?

And what if we see that challenge through the eyes of some of those most marginalised in our current system: those living with disability?

The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.3 billion people around the world experience significant disability. Here in the UK, the number is upwards of 10 million. That’s at least 1 in 6 of both the global and the national population. In a system where democracy is equated with elections, this is a community that is barely represented and often very poorly treated, with nearly 1 in 3 disabled people in the UK living in poverty in 2024.

That’s not just morally bad, it’s dumb. This is going to be a conversation about what we’re missing out on as a society, what we can do about it – and what we can learn about the future of democracy as a whole, and how we get there, by starting with this perspective. Jon Alexander, host of the Adventures In Democracy series and author of Citizens, will be joined by serial entrepreneur and founder Martyn Sibley (“a regular guy who happens to have a disability called Spinal Muscular Atrophy”), and Simon Duffy, President of the global Citizen Network Coop and co-author of Everyday Democracy with disability activist Wendy Perez.

For anyone with an interest in democracy, this stands to be an essential conversation. After all, as Simon puts it, “Not only can people with disabilities be citizens, they’re often the best citizens there are.”

Speakers

Martyn Sibley is a renowned advocate for disability inclusion, a successful entrepreneur, and an influential public speaker. As the co-founder and CEO of Purple Goat Agency, Martyn leads a pioneering team that connects brands with disabled people, demonstrating the immense value and potential of inclusive marketing. With a background in social activism and digital media, Martyn has dedicated his career to empowering disabled individuals and promoting accessibility. He has authored a book on his global travels as a wheelchair user, sharing his adventures and advocating for greater independence for all. Martyn is also the driving force behind the Purple Collective, a platform aimed at fostering citizen participation and political representation for disabled people. His efforts in this area seek to create a more inclusive democracy where every voice is heard and valued. Through his work with various organisations and his own initiatives, Martyn continues to break down barriers and inspire change, making significant strides towards a more inclusive and equitable society.

Dr Simon Duffy is a philosopher and social activist. He is founder of Citizen Network, a global community working to create a world where everyone matters. He has created many organisations and policy innovations and was awarded the RSA’s Prince Albert Medal in 2008. His most recent book is Everyday Citizenship.

Jon Alexander is the author of CITIZENS: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us, and co-founder of the New Citizenship Project, a book and company that work to shift the dominant story of the individual in society from Consumer to Citizen. Among other plaudits, CITIZENS was listed by McKinsey as one of its Top 5 Recommended Books in its Summer Reading Guide 2022, described as “an underground hit” in the Financial Times, and selected by the World Economic Forum for its CEO Book Club. Jon began his career with a decade in the advertising industry, before shifting his attention to understanding how communications skills might be deployed to invite people into their agency as citizens, instead of just selling stuff to them as consumers.

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