Digital Inclusion
People with learning disabilities are some of those whose human rights are most at risk through digital exclusion, digital poverty, and data poverty. In 2022 SCLD was given funding by the Scottish Government Digital Health and Care Directorate’s Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme, to consider how digital technology can transform the lives of people with learning disabilities.
The project followed a participatory action research approach, recruiting a board of lived experience advisors – the Digital Navigator Board – to steer the work and undertake peer research. We spoke to 116 people with learning disabilities about their experiences with digital technology, as well as looking at innovations in digital technology – both mainstream and specialist. In December 2023, we published our project report that made four recommendations for the short term, which we think can build the foundations for transformational change.
You can view our project reports and other outputs from stage 1 of the project on the links below!
Our right to be techy! Full report
Our right to be techy! Easy read executive summary
Louis’s story, Digital Transformation, from SCLD on Vimeo.
Malek’s story, Digital Transformation, from SCLD on Vimeo.
Care Connector (Learning Disabilities) project in North Ayrshire
On the back of the ‘Our right to be techy’ report, the Scottish Government’s Digital Health and Care Directorate awarded SCLD funding to test a local learning disability inclusion co-ordinator post, to improve digital inclusion and digital access for people with learning disabilities.
Using learning from Scottish Care’s Care Technologist project, SCLD worked in partnership with Scottish Care and North Ayrshire HSCP to test a new role know as a Care Connector (Learning Disability). Between January and May 2025 the Care Connector worked with a stakeholder group professionals across the third and public sector in North Ayrshire to understand the current situation, create an asset map and ultimately inform phase two of the project. Phase two took place between May and June and comprised two co-occurring elements. Firstly, led by a group of interns from the School of Innovation and Technology at the Glasgow School of Art the project created a community focussed, role blind resource, alongside people with learning disabilities, to empower those working in the community to support the digital inclusion of people with learning disabilities. This resource is a gamified toolkit, called Let’s link! which we are testing with community organisations across North Ayrshire.
To find out more about Let’s link! have a look at the instructional video:
Let’s link! how to use the toolkit
The second element, led by technology consultancy Opencast Software is a framework alongside some case studies and best practice to help evolve, embed and scale the toolkit across North Ayrshire and beyond, to ensure sustainability beyond the term of the project.
Framework, case studies and best practice guide 
Want to get in touch about the project?
If you want to chat to us about the project, or to get involved in testing the Let’s link! resource please get in touch with our evidence programme lead Ruth Callander by email Ruth.C@scld.co.uk
