ABSTRACT
Background: The aim of this study was to examine whether and how people with learning disabilities were being supported to use technologies to keep connected and stay well during the pandemic. Methods: Thirty‐eight people in a range of support roles were interviewed about their experiences of trying to support people with learning disabilities to use technologies during the pandemic with a particular focus on the difficulties experienced by learning disabilities and the practices that supporters developed to try to overcome these difficulties. Findings: Findings revealed examples of digital exclusion, where people with learning disabilities were not able to use technology. The three main barriers to digital inclusion were cost, access and environment. The findings also revealed examples of digital inclusion, where those in support roles worked to overcome these barriers. These digitally inclusive support practices can be characterised as 'possibility focused'. Possibility focused support has four key components: creativity, resilience, risk‐management and shared decision‐making. Conclusion: The pandemic has shown us that it is important to support people with learning disabilities to use technologies. It is important that we learn from the experiences of those supporters who helped people with learning disabilities access and use technologies during the pandemic, so that digitally inclusive support practice is shared more widely and more people with learning disabilities are supported to be digitally included beyond the pandemic. Accessible summary: During the pandemic when we had to stay at home, being able to use technology to keep connected with friends and family was very important.I wanted to find out if people with learning disabilities were getting the support they needed to use technology during the pandemic.I asked 38 'supporters' about their experiences of trying to help people with learning disabilities use technology during the pandemic.I found that there were three main barriers to using technology: cost, access and environment.I also found examples where 'supporters' had been able to help people with learning disabilities overcome these barriers and use technologies.