Keeping connected and staying well requires access to technology AND good support Jane Seale, 14 th June, 2021 This week is Learning Disability Week, which is a good time to celebrate what has been achieved with regards to improving the lives of people with learning disabilities, but also to highlight what more needs to be done. Due largely to the covid pandemic and the numerous government rules regarding socially distancing and shielding, the last fifteen months has seen a huge increase in awareness and understanding regarding the important role that technology can play in keeping people with learning disabilities connected to their friends, family and wider health and social care support networks. Research that I conducted last year revealed two important issues: When people with learning disabilities were supported to use technology to keep connected, this had a positive impact on their mental health and well-being This support however was not unive
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Using technology to support people with learning disabilities to stay well and connected during lockdown Photo by fabio on Unsplash We have three days before we enter a second lock-down in England. During the first lockdown I (with Liz Tilley, Jan Walmsley, Lorna Rouse, Louise Wallace and Shawn Picken) conducted some research into how technology was being used to support people with learning disabilities and to try and capture what this practice looked like and the factors that influenced whether and how technology was used. I am still in the process of writing and editing the ‘posh’ report of my findings. I hope to have this completed in the next week or so. But while I finish it off, I think it is important that I share what I have learnt in order to help those who support people with learning disabilities prepare for the next lockdown. The lessons for supportive practice that I will share with you in this blog are drawn from two sources: A survey of 104 supporters (