Getting a Digital Champion programme going from a standing still position can seem daunting at first but with a few ideas and a bit of perseverance, it can quickly deliver the digital skills support your customers or service users need.

In the UK, there are an estimated 800,000 working age people with mild-to-moderate learning disabilities in the UK but only 17% are in work¹.  Covid-19 has exacerbated the problem as people with learning disabilities face further exclusion from the workplace due to the increasing reliance on digital skills, the move to remote working and rising unemployment.

In a Covid-era, when being able to use technology and the internet is vital, around 160 Digital Health Champions have been supporting patients with developing essential digital skills.

For Capgemini, a global leader in digital technology and transformation, ensuring everyone has access to the benefits of the online world is a cornerstone of their corporate social responsibility programme. And supporting people’s digital skills is one of the main pillars of this programme.

Mencap, the leading charity supporting people with learning disability, had been aware for some time that digital exclusion was an issue for people with learning disabilities. But digital technology is not its core business, and managers were not confident they could provide digital skills support to the 300+ local partner organisations who provide support for people with learning disabilities.

For Hexagon Housing, digital inclusion has been on the agenda for a decade, forming a vital part of their community investment work.

They have an established way of providing digital skills support through trainers and Digital Champions and have been members of our Digital Champions Network since 2018.