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Our History
For more than 25 years, AbilityNet has been championing the transformative power of technology to change lives in the workplace, in education and at home.
From modest beginnings we are the UK's leading charity in all areas of digital accessibility and assistive technologies, and our impact is felt worldwide.
Early days and IBM roots
AbilityNet was formally created as a charity in 1998, from the merger of two organisations:
- the Computability Centre, established at IBM Warwick in 1987,
- the Foundation for Communication for the Disabled, founded in 1985.
Both organisations shared a vision to provide free advice and assessments for disabled people, funded by paid-for services to companies and government organisations and fundraising from charitable trusts.
Since 1998, AbilityNet has transformed into a self-sustaining charity with a national reputation as a leader in assistive technology, enhancing the lives of many thousands of people in their education, employment and personal lives.
Building an accessible digital world
Over the past decade, AbilityNet has seen government departments and some of the UK’s biggest employers become customers, while continuing to deliver free tech help to disabled people by phone, email and on our website.
Our business services have expanded, and our consultants have extended their scope to include workplace inclusion, support for students and website and software accessibility. In 2017, our Head of Digital Inclusion and founding member, Robin Christopherson, was awarded an MBE for his services to digital inclusion.
We now have over 80 staff and 500 volunteers across the UK.
We started the Tech4Good Awards in 2011, celebrating the people who use tech to make the world a better place.
And in 2017 we created TechShare Pro, now Europe's largest gathering for the digital accessibility community.
IT Can Help
AbilityNet's history is linked to the history of IT Can Help, which is the forerunner to our IT volunteers service.
Our patron: Martha Lane Fox
Internet entrepreneur and digital inclusion advocate Martha Lane Fox (Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho) became our patron in 2011.