The squabbles about Labour’s leaked manifesto may run and run, but as a hardened observer of the democratic process I’m at least pleased to find on Labour’s homepage a link that says “Disability Access”. And I’m told that the actual manifesto will be available in accessible formats. This is a start for the disabled voter.

Yes, I am blatantly partisan, but the leaked manifesto reassures me. I do believe we need to transform our society and to break down establishment politics fed by the greedy excesses of capitalism. I know that disabled people within my networks and beyond are fed up with the current system. I trust that Labour under Jeremy Corbyn believes in inclusion and equality, and the draft version of the manifesto is promising, with pledges of more funds for social care, reviews of the universal credit cuts and commitment to build more social housing; the Mirror claims the draft shows the 2012 Health and Social Care Act will be repealed.

Over the last week, as I’ve reeled through the desolate landscape of soundbites and sniping created by the election campaign, it’s hard to unearth other parties’ promises and commitments to the disabled voter. No surprise there.

Let’s bring in some sobering statistics. There’s general agreement that we – disabled people – number 13 million of the UK population, with 6.9 million of working age. That’s a lot of voters who are likely to be interested in the parties’ agendas, not forgetting 5 million who are over state pension age. If actively engaged, the disability vote could affect who gets in to government.

One thing that many parties are guilty of is the overuse of the word “vulnerable”. Vulnerability is created by circumstance – I’m placed in a vulnerable position when my care needs are not met. But as a fiftysomething self-employed writer, I’m not intrinsically more vulnerable than anyone else.

Yet I felt I was brave to venture on to the Conservative party website. However, there’s no easy way to track down any pledges concerning disabled people. There’s lots on Brexit, lots of mentions of “Theresa” and constant repetition of phrases: “hard working”, “capping welfare”, “those in need”. If I go to “Share the Facts” and use the search box, “disabled” brings up nothing, while “disability” brings up “lowering the cap on benefits” with a rather hollow statement that “capping benefits ensures those capable of work have a clear incentive to find it …” and “most disability benefit claimants … [are] exempt from the cap”.

This seems to sums up the Conservatives’ approach to disabled people, and it’s hardly a surprise they don’t attempt to unravel the controversy around the horrific work capability assessments, or pin down their own nebulous definitions of terms such as “who cannot work”. It’s frankly laughable, this droning on about clear incentives to find work. What work and what jobs?

Moving on to the Liberal Democrats, I find the website is easier to use, although as with the Conservatives, there’s no obvious information about alternative accessible formats. If the main parties are offering this, they need to make it clear where that information is. The Lib Dems talk about the pledge to put £6bn extra a year into the NHS and social care, which is an improvement on the Tories, who definitely view it as a greedy, overfed beast in need of a starvation strategy. On the “Identity and Equalities” page – bingo! – I find the V-word: “Liberal Democrats believe we must support society’s most vulnerable.” But at least they go on to state: “We reject the idea that people in need of our support are ‘scroungers’.”

Beyond mainstream party politics, Disabled People Against the Cuts are, like me, similarly partisan with their #TrashtheTories campaign. DPAC points out how the agenda against disabled people “has impacted on us nine times more than others and for those with the highest support needs, 19 times more”. These things go beyond party politics, including the UN finding that the government’s welfare reforms have led to grave and systemic violations of disabled people’s human rights.

I sincerely hope disabled people in their millions will look at what the parties are saying and their track record – and use their vote wisely. I’d encourage the disabled voter to look at the non-partisan US initiative, which has now travelled to the UK, #CripTheVoteUK. Its focus, among other things, is on the political participation and representation of disabled people – and if we grasp our power, we could bring about a change in British politics and a shock election result.