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We’re thrilled to share the launch of a transformative new initiative that will help thousands of disabled children and young people, and their families access the digital world with greater confidence, safety, and independence.
The Driving Digital Inclusion Programme has been launched by the Digital Services Consortium (DSC) – an alliance of 12 leading charities, co-chaired by Kids and Sense. This two-year programme will support over 20,000 disabled children, young people, and families by providing digital devices, skills training, and ongoing support tailored to their needs.
This initiative is all about removing barriers and creating a future where disabled children and young people are digitally connected — not left behind.
The idea for this programme was sparked during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Kids partnered with the Disabled Children’s Partnership to understand how digital exclusion was affecting families. The result was the Locked Out report – which showed just how critical digital access is for education, information, and connection.
Done right, digital tools can be a lifeline. And now, with the Driving Digital Inclusion Programme, we’re turning that research into action.
Each of the twelve charities in the Consortium will deliver their own digital support programme – tailored to the children and families they work with – while contributing to a wider, united effort.
The member charities are:
Ambitious about Autism, The Children’s Trust, Contact, Dingley’s Promise, Family Fund, Kids, National Deaf Children’s Society, Rainbow Trust, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, Sense, WellChild, and Whizz Kidz.
To find out more about each charity’s offering, visit the Digital Inclusion programme page.
– Katie Ghose, Chair of DSC and CEO of Kids
Carly Blake, a disabled young person from Portsmouth, has already seen the difference that digital support can make:
We’re proud to be working with expert partners Good Things Foundation, AbilityNet, and CAST – all of whom bring vital experience in digital and disability inclusion and evaluation.
AbilityNet will provide specialist accessibility and IT support and training to ensure that the accessibility needs of end beneficiaries are identified and met, so people can use and benefit from their device and from online digital services provided by the DSC.
CAST is the Evaluation and Learning partner for the programme. CAST will work with the 12 service delivery organisations to embed shared principles, establish robust learning loops and impact measurement and ensure true collaboration and evolution across the programme as they create and grow the digital and hybrid services.
Good Things will enable programme partners to provide those supported by their services with free data and devices via the National Databank and National Device Bank.
Thanks to National Lottery players, the DSC has received over £1.5 million over two years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The DSC has also received a grant of £400,000 from BBC Children in Need for two years to provide digital support for disabled or seriously ill children and young people and their family members across the UK. Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone have generously donated devices and data through the Good Things Foundation National Databank and Device Bank which will help address affordability barriers.
With this programme, the DSC aims not only to support children and families today, but also to shape the future of how digital services are delivered across the children’s sector.
– Rachel Perrin, Vice-Chair of DSC and Associate Director at Sense
If you’d like to find out more about the programme, get involved, or support our work, please contact:
Liz Jones, Programme Director
The DSC has launched a new programme to help 20,000+ disabled children and families access vital digital support.
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