Name of Organisation
St. John of God Community Services (Liffey Services)
Name of Practice
DigiCoach: Building Capacity for Person-Centred Digital Inclusion
Topic
Digital inclusion, assistive technology, and peer-led workforce development
Location and Level
National
Problem Identified and Solution Found
DigiCoach flipped the traditional training model by hiring people with lived experience as paid DigiCoaches, putting them at the centre of knowledge-sharing rather than at the receiving end. The initiative started within SJOG and atempo services through the Erasmus+ SAID Project and has since grown into a pan-disability partnership with Enable Ireland, Fighting Blindness, Muiríosa Foundation, Brothers of Charity, and Rehab Group. It was built on a simple observation: people with disabilities were being left behind in the shift to digital - not because the tools didn't exist, but because the knowledge wasn't reaching them in the right way. Coaches now support adults with disabilities, staff, families, and community groups in using accessible tools like easy-read materials, speech-to-text, and vision technologies - building digital inclusion from the inside out.
Success Factors and Key Lessons
21 DigiCoaches have been upskilled with a further 10 in training, and 35 paid roles have been created. The initiative has reached over 1,000 people through webinars, 500 through in-person coaching, and 100 via peer-to-peer online sessions. Around 95% of those working in or hired through the project identify as having a disability - a powerful signal that lived experience is the real driver here.
Beneficiaries
Adults with disabilities, including those with low literacy or complex needs, staff, managers, families, and community groups, people with disabilities hired as DigiCoaches, peer educators, and trainers , 8,000 children and adults supported annually across the wider organisation.
Transferability and Replicability
The model is highly transferable across disability services and national contexts. Its modular design and adaptable training materials can be tailored to organisations of different sizes and regulatory environments. The pan-disability approach makes it relevant across diverse services, and embedding it within workforce development and induction structures means it doesn't depend on one-off project funding to survive.
Contact
Sarah Boland (Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technology Coordinator) - sarah.boland@sjog.ie
Opportunities for Collaboration
