Communications technology means things likethe internet, smartphones and tabletcomputers.

An Ofcom EasyRead report of:Disabled consumers' use ofcommunications services.A Consumer Experience Report.2015

How many people withlearning disabilities are usingcommunications technology?

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About this report

This is an EasyRead report about howpeople with learning disabilities areusing communications technology.

Communications Technology meansthings like the internet, smartphonesand tablet computers.

Ofcom (the Office of Communications)wrote this report.

Ofcom makes sure that TV, telephone,mobile and internet companies stick tothe rules and run a good service.

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We also make sure disabled people arenot forgotten.

So we wanted to find out if disabledpeople are using communicationstechnology as much as people withouta disability.

This includes people with learningdisabilities.

We asked a company called BPS to goand ask people about whattechnology they use.

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We also asked if people had adisability, including people with alearning disability.

We then added up all the numbers.

This helped us see if disabled peopleare using different types of technologymore or less than before.

This EasyRead report tells you howmany people with learning disabilitiesare using communications technologyand if that is more or less than otherpeople.

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We wrote a big report about all of this.

You can see the big report on ourwebsite: www.ofcom.org.uk

If you would like more information,please contact us using the details onpage 10.

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About people with learningdisabilities

What we found out about thepeople in our survey:

People with learning disabilities in oursurvey were more likely to be younger -half are under 35 years old.

Half of people with learning disabilitieslive in houses with three or morepeople.

Far more people with learningdisabilities don't have a job.

1 out of every 4 people with learningdisabilities don’t work because theyhave a disability.

This is more than groups of peoplewith any other disability.

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Using the internet

What we found:

People with learning disabilities don’thave access to the internet as much aspeople without a disability.

Those people with learning disabilitieswho do use it, use it less often thanpeople without a disability.

Just as many people with learningdisabilities use their mobiles to getonto the internet as people without adisability.

They do not use the internet at homeas much.

More people with learning disabilitiesuse the internet to play games thanpeople without a disability.

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Other technologies

What we found:

Nearly half of people with learningdisabilities have games consoles likeNintendo, Xbox and PlayStations intheir homes, this is more than peoplewithout a disability.

More people with learning disabilitieshave free TV in their homes thanpeople without a disability.

They are also just as likely to have payTV in their homes as people without adisability.

People with learning disabilities arejust as likely to have a mobile phone ora landline in their home as peoplewithout a disability.

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But the phones they use are less likelyto be smartphones that can connect tothe internet.

People with learning disabilities arejust as likely to have a tablet, like aniPad, in their own homes as peoplewithout a disability.

But they are less likely to have a PC orlaptop.

People with learning disabilities arejust as likely to have a DAB (digital)radio at home as other people.

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Having a disability andusing technology

What we found:

Less people with learning disabilitiesuse a landline than other disabledpeople.

More people with learning disabilitiesuse a tablet or iPad than otherdisabled people.

But 1 out of every 10 people withlearning disabilities said they can't usea tablet because of their disability.

3 out of every 10 people with learningdisabilities said their disability stopsthem using communicationstechnology.

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How to contact Ofcom

You can write to us at:

Ofcom Riverside House2a Southwark Bridge RoadLondonSE1 9HA

Call:0300 123 3333 or020 7981 3040

Monday to FridayFrom 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Textphone calls only:020 7891 3043

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Credits

This paper has been designed andproduced for Ofcom by the EasyReadservice at Inspired Services Publishing Ltd.Ref ISL 057/15. September 2015.

www.inspiredservices.org.uk

It meets the European EasyRead Standard.

Artwork includes material from theInspired EasyRead Collectionand cannot be used anywhere elsewithout written permission fromInspired Services.

www.inspired.pics