eCom celebrates new business win to develop inclusive, accessible digital learning for The Yard

The Yard is a Scottish charity that creates opportunities for disabled children and young people to experience the transformative power of play. Through their inclusive play sessions, outreach programmes, respite care and family support, The Yard helps children build confidence, explore freely and form meaningful friendships, while supporting families to feel valued, included and connected.

Rooted in lived experience, their values-led, face-to-face training has already made a meaningful impact for a range of organisations. Now, looking to build on this success and reach more learners through digital delivery, including the general public, The Yard turned to eCom - following a recommendation and after learning about our work on similar projects.

From our first conversations, it was clear we shared common values and a mutual commitment to creating learning experiences that make a difference. After taking the time to understand their vision, we’re now supporting The Yard in shaping a digital learning strategy and approach to meet a wide range of learning needs.

In adapting their face-to-face content for online delivery, we’re making sure there’s engaging content for the different learner groups, from members of the public to professionals working with children and families.

We’re also considering how learners will interact with the training and ensuring the experience is as inclusive and accessible as possible. This includes providing editorial style guidance and using consistent language and terminology, so everything is clear and easy to follow.

Instructional Designer at eCom, Ericka Park, said “It’s not just about meeting accessibility standards: our goal is to create a digital learning environment that feels personal, flexible and welcoming to all, including neurodivergent learners.”

eCom is proud to be part of The Yard’s journey. Commenting on our involvement, Learning Technology Consultant at eCom, Colin McEwan, said “The Yard’s team is brilliant to work with. They’re passionate about what they do and deeply connected to their audience. We’ve already had some fantastic conversations and it’s great to be part of something that will have a huge positive impact.”

Head of Partnerships at The Yard, Sophie Jenkins, said: “We really valued eCom’s input. They take the time to listen and understand what matters most to us, and have already brought a great mix of ideas, structure and empathy. We’re excited to continue working together as the project moves forward.”

The project is also being supported by STV and Tailor Ed, whose involvement is helping to make this important work possible.