People with learning disabilities and/or autism

Many people with learning disabilities and/or autism are digitally excluded either for financial reasons or because they require support to access digital platforms. Any strategy moving forward should take account of this to enable people who are some of the most isolated in society to become digitally connected.

People with learning disabilities have a life expectancy of 20 years less than the rest of society and this statistic could well increase given the new COVID restrictions. As medical services move more and more online it is crucial that people develop the skills to access these.

The unemployment rate amongst people with learning disabilities is 7% compared with 76% for the general population. As recruitment processes move more and more online people will be further disadvantaged if they don't have the skills to apply online.