CONNECT and people with learning disability

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.032807

I note you seek access to the following information:

The Met Police have introduced new system called connect has people with learning disability namely dyslexia been used in part of the planning and creating of the system?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

The CONNECT EIA does not specifically identify / call out Dyslexia. Dyslexia sits within the ‘Protected Characteristic’ of Disability with the Potential positive / negative issues / impacts listed in section 5c of the EIA.
A key strategic priority of the CONNECT programme is:
The CONNECT solution and training products must be accessible to all users of CONNECT.

This includes MPS employees that are Dyslexic and those who require Assistive Technology (AT) in order to undertake their daily work.
In October 2019 the MPS commissioned a series of technical accessibility audits to test the CONNECT solution and associated digital training’s compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure it is an inclusive product for the whole MPS workforce.

Accessibility testing (audits) has been conducted following each release of the CONNECT solution and at identified points throughout the development of training content. The audits seek to test the solution and supporting training products in line with WCAG.
The audits are conducted by Atos employees who are Certified Professionals in Web Accessibility (CPWA) by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP).

The next audit will be conducted in November in preparation for Drop 2 go-live. Once this is completed the EIA will be updated and circulated to the CONNECT Engagement Group for comment and feedback. This group consists of representatives from the Federation, Superintendents Association, HR, Disability Association, FDA, PCS, Unite and Prospect Unions. The EIA is ultimately approved by the EIA Reference Group chaired by DAC Horne.

The EIA is a public document and can be found within the CONNECT Hub accessibility pages on the intranet. There are a variety of topics covered within these pages and they include the MPS wide engagement that has taken place over the last year with regard to accessibility.

Accessibility Statements for CONNECT and associated Learning Management System (LMS) have also been published on the CONNECT Hub.
For CONNECT Drop 2 end users will complete their training either remotely or within a classroom environment. It is recognised that individuals have differing requirements to facilitate optimum learning and it is recommended that CONNECT training should be managed on a case-by-case basis.
Line managers must work with individuals and if appropriate the CONNECT team, to identify solutions that provide the optimum training experience to ensure individuals are confident at the point of Go-Live.

Examples of possible solutions could be:
• Individuals afforded extra time to complete their training
• Individuals completing training in manageable chunks over a number of days
• Remotely with less distraction
• 121 Support
• Assistive Technology Software.

Should individuals experience any issues during training they should seek support from line managers, Super-users, the CONNECT Support Team or the IT Service Help Desk.