The Bridge Initiative: Helping people with intellectual disability
The Games for Good and Digital Champions programs falls under the Bridge Initiative. It supports people with intellectual disability to develop digital skills, confidence and online safety awareness.
These programs not only support people with intellectual disability to feel safer and more confident online, but also gives them a space to share their voice. One of our Digital Champions, Sarah who is also involved in Games for Good, helped us create a video to encourage those in the games industry to get involved in the program.
Games for Good
In May 2025 we launched the Games for Good program with support from Google.org. We want to make the internet a safer and friendlier place for people with intellectual disability.
Since then, we have designed the program, formed an advisory group, engaged with partners and researched about learning games. We want to learn how to create helpful and useful resources for and with people with intellectual disability.
Partnering for purpose
We’ve formed an advisory group of industry experts from Down Syndrome Australia, Council for Intellectual Disability (CID), Hireup, eSafety Commissioner, Queenslanders with Disability Network, the Department of Social Services (DSS) and engaging an independent consultant from the disability sector.
We’re also collaborating with experts from the Council for Intellectual Disability (CID) to help with our co-design sessions. CID has over 60 years experience promoting inclusion and is led by people with intellectual disability.
Working with people with intellectual disability
Twenty-six candidates shared their interest in joining Games for Good. Twelve people with intellectual disability from a diverse group of ages, abilities and interests were selected to participate at this stage of the program. The group will be split into two teams: online relationships and online financial safety.
The teams will help us with developing the concept for an online learning game based on their team’s topic. We hosted a first meeting last week to meet and greet the first group and kick off their participation in the program.
What’s next
Good Things Australia will engage a games design agency to bring the game concepts to life. We will be testing and getting feedback from people with intellectual disability throughout the game design process.
Over the next few months, we will be co-designing a learning platform with disability support workers to support their clients as digital mentors in building digital confidence and safety.
Join us!
If you want to get involved in the program and support us, follow our social media accounts for updates or contact us at connect@goodthings.org.au.
Good Things would like to thank Google.org for their support of this program. We’re excited to share what we learn with the world!
Together, we can make the internet safer for people with intellectual disability! 😊💙