How you can help transform UK digital inclusion: the Connection Project

Annie Mannion | 20 Aug 2026

Earlier this year, AbilityNet announced its involvement in the Connection Project, a UK-wide coalition of businesses, charities, trade bodies and brands working together to support government action on improving digital services and infrastructure for millions of people across the UK.

Connected report cover. Text reads: How the UK can make a digital society work for everyone. Connection Project report 2 - August 2026As an expert advisory partner in the Connection Project, AbilityNet shares insight with the coalition into how to create accessible digital experiences within complex organisations. 

This week, the Project team has revealed its latest report of research findings and recommendations, focusing on three main areas: 

  1. Connectivity
  2. Banking and payments
  3. Information and entertainment

It also outlines 10 achievable actions that would build a better digital UK.

Download the Connection Project report from its website

 

Join major UK organisations to help bring digital changes

The Connection Project has shown that 14–22 million* people in the UK experience at least one significant barrier to accessing the digital services they increasingly depend on.

Amy Low, AbilityNet CEO, smilingAmy Low, AbilityNet's CEO, highlights the role we can all play in transforming digital inclusion:

"At AbilityNet, we see every day how technology can transform lives, and how easily people can be excluded when accessibility is overlooked. Digital inclusion is not a niche issue. It affects all of us at different points in our lives. By bringing together industry, government, charities and people with lived experience, we can create a digital society that works for everyone. The Connection Project report shows that the solutions are within reach if we're prepared to act together."

During this crucial stage of demonstrating to government decision-makers how a tried-and-tested, fresh digital inclusion approach can be sustainably and efficiently rolled out nationwide, we're asking people like you - who are as passionate as us about the need to make the world a more accessible place for all - to do something small to help raise awareness of the report's recommendations.

Will you please take 2 minutes to send a short email to your MP, urging them to digest and consider the report's findings? We've made it very easy to do by following the two-step process below.

Send this template email to your MP

Step 1: Find your MP's contact details via the Parliament UK website
Find your MP's contact details
Step 2: Adapt and send this email to your MP
Subject: Please take action on the Connection Project's findings
Dear [Insert your MP's Name],
I am a constituent living in [insert your Town/Postcode] and I am writing to ask for your support on the issue of the Connection Project. 
The findings of its latest report, revealed on 20 August, into digital inclusion recommendations for the UK, will affect me, my family, and many others in our community because it will bring about systemic change needed to ensure digital access and equality is addressed in a sustainable way for the future. The Connection Project is a coalition of major organisations including Accenture, Barclays, BT, Capgemini, Deloitte, EY, HSBC, ITV, Lloyds, NatWest, UK Finance, PWC, AbilityNet,  Age UK, Citizens Advice, Ofcom, Financial Conduct Authority and many more.
I would be grateful if you could raise this report's findings in Parliament and support measures that would help address it. I would also welcome hearing what action you plan to take locally for ensuring equal digital access.
Thank you for your time and for representing our constituency. I look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
[Insert your Your Name and Postcode]

 

Graphic of woman with icons coming out of her 'phone' including a wallet icon, YouTube play icon and a pound signWhat does the latest Connection Project report reveal?

One year ago, the Connection Project set out to answer a question: what would it take to create a digital society in which everyone can participate and thrive?

Having consulted extensively with over 30 consumer groups, government, regulators and industry leaders, and examined what other nations have done, the report calls for a shared national vision for an inclusive digital society, supported by a programme of actions for government, industry and civil society.

From the report:

"Connectivity, banking and payments, and information and entertainment are important, but they can’t provide the whole solution; many other essential services sit outside these sectors. We recommend that the same conditions identified in this research be applied to the transitions government leads directly, including the NHS App, One Login and the other digital services."

While some recommendations build on existing initiatives, such as full-fibre rollout and digital skills programmes, the report also proposes new measures, including an affordability framework for low-income households, simpler digital services, and legally recognised delegated access arrangements.

The UK does not need to start from scratch. It has the infrastructure, the institutions and the track record. What it needs now is the commitment to bring them together. The tools to create a more inclusive digital future already exist, but success will depend on leadership, coordination and a shared commitment to making digital access work for all. 

“This is a chance to give millions of people confidence, independence and opportunity,” says Natalie Ceeney CBE, Chair, the Connection Project.

Older man using cashpoint outsideDrive inclusion and innovation in digital banking
Financial services have driven the UK’s digital transformation, with customer expectations rising for speed, personalisation, and simplicity.
Are you in the financial sector and interested in digital accessibility? Learn from AbilityNet's financial sector accessibility resources.

*The Connection Project. (March 2026). Misconnected: How the UK Can Choose a Better Digital Future.

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