with Rav Gehlon, Digital Advantage
This month, we’re focusing on innovative practice in post-16 provision, featuring three winners of the Nastspec innovation awards. Last week, we looked at a great programme at Treloars in Hampshire, that’s helping young people with disabilities find employment. Today, in the second of our three-part series, providers, Digital Advantage, have co-created the Digital Independent Specialist College, tailoring fantastic digital training for young people with SEND, to help them join the digital workforce.
Rav Gehlon, of Digital Advantage explains the initiative — and if you run something that’s helping disabled young people into careers, let us know!
Leading the way to get young people with SEND into the digital workforce. By Rav Gehlon
At Digital Advantage, we believe the future of work should be inclusive, empowering, and accessible. That’s why we teamed with SENDCode to create the Digital Independent Specialist College (DISC) – a pioneering blend of education and professional digital agency, tailored for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Reimagining the Route into Employment
DISC is more than a college. It’s a creative hub that reflects the real-world demands of the digital economy. Here, young people don’t just learn theory – they learn by doing, working on live projects for real clients. Thanks to our strong partnership with SENDCode, a neurodivergent-led creative agency, DISC interns gain hands-on experience working on briefs for employers such as Manchester City Council, Claritas Wealth, Nexer Digital, and Greater Manchester Autism Consortium.
SENDCode doesn’t just support DISC’s mission—it enables it. They provide real client briefs, mentoring, and placements, helping interns transition from classroom learning to real world practice. Interns co-create accessible resources, develop brands, and deliver projects with genuine impact.
“Before DISC I didn’t really have a plan, but being part of the Supported Internship and then SENDCode gave me real skills, real projects, and direction. I went from thinking I only wanted to do photography to becoming a video editor working with real clients – now I’m even mentoring others who were in my place a couple of years ago. DISC helped me grow in confidence and gave me space to try things I never thought I’d be good at. At SENDCode, I’ve had the chance to work on paid briefs, learn new software, and be part of a proper creative team – it’s made a massive difference to how I see both myself and my future.”
Dillon Carroll, former DISC Supported Intern / Current SENDCode staffer
Why We Created DISC
Only three in 10 autistic adults are in work. Even among all disabled people, the number only rises to five in 10. Compare that to eight in 10 non-disabled people, and the gap is impossible to ignore. We knew something had to change. Traditional education and employment systems often fail to recognise the unique strengths of neurodivergent young people, which can be unlocked with an adapted environment. We created DISC to be that person-centred, adaptive environment where creativity and innovation thrive.
SENDCode plays a crucial role here, bridging the gap between education and employment. By embedding work experience opportunities directly into the DISC model, SENDCode ensures interns leave with industry-ready portfolios and valuable experience.
“What I love about DISC is that it’s flexible, it’s creative, and it feels like a real job. I’m not just doing college work; I’m building a portfolio that employers respect.”
Current Intern
Who Benefits?
Our interns come from diverse backgrounds, often with experiences of educational exclusion or anxiety. DISC provides a trauma-informed environment where interns feel safe, valued, and empowered to develop skills and confidence at their own pace.
Thanks to SENDCode’s collaborative projects with partners, we’ve seen:
- 50% of our 2022/23 interns gained paid employment within a year—all retained their jobs after 12 months.
- 62.5% of our 2023/24 interns secured employment within just four months
- Others progressed to further education, supported by bespoke guidance.
“DISC helped me believe in myself again. I didn’t think I could get a job, but now I’m working in a creative agency, and I love it.”
Former Supported Intern
The Ripple Effect
Employers like Nexer Digital and Claritas Wealth have been instrumental, offering live briefs and celebrating the innovative ideas interns bring. Manchester City Council went a step further by funding a full-time role for a neurodivergent intern, enhancing the accessibility of their Local Offer website.
SENDCode’s co-produced projects with DISC don’t just benefit interns – they shift mindsets in the wider community. These partnerships provide a sustainable talent pipeline, reinforce inclusive hiring practices, and demonstrate the immense value of neurodivergent creativity.
“Working with DISC has opened our eyes to the potential of inclusive hiring. The interns bring creativity, fresh ideas, and a perspective that’s invaluable to our organisation.”
Partner employer
Families and communities also feel the impact. Parents tell us they see their young people gain confidence, purpose, and independence – qualities that will serve them well into the future.
“DISC has given my son something he never had before – belief in his own talent. He’s excited about his future for the first time in years.”
Parent
What’s Next for DISC?
We’re just getting started. Our plans include:
- Expanding employer partnerships through SENDCode to open up more digital career pathways.
- Deepening our Social Return on Investment analysis with Alliance Manchester Business School.
- Developing our model further to operate across multiple sites offering a blueprint for inclusive, employment-focused education.
“I’m proud to be part of something that’s not just helping me, but will help so many others in the future.”
DISC intern
Why the Natspec Innovation Award Matters
We entered the Natspec Innovative Routes to Employment Award to share DISC’s story and inspire others. The judges recognised DISC’s “unique blend of education and professional practice” and its ability to “redefine inclusive employment pathways.” They also acknowledged how SENDCode’s integral role empowers interns to gain not just skills but real-world, paid opportunities.
Winning this award isn’t just a milestone for us, it’s a validation of our vision: that young people with SEND deserve real opportunities to thrive, contribute, and lead. It’s not just a pat on the back, it’s a validation of our vision to do things differently, something that once felt like putting square pegs into round holes, but that is now proven to create meaningful digital careers for young people with SEND.
Join Us in Shaping the Future of Inclusive Employment
At DISC and SENDCode, we believe everyone deserves the chance to shine. If you’re a young person, parent, educator, employer, or community leader who shares our vision for inclusive employment:
- Visit disc.ac.uk to learn more
- Partner with us through SENDCode to offer live briefs, internships, or job opportunities
- Spread the word, because when we work together, we can build a future where everyone gets the chance to thrive.
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Also read:
- Let Me In: How disabled college students are offering accessibility expertise to transform communities
- £9 return on every £1 invested: The moral & economic evidence for boosting Supported Internships
- Far-reaching recommendations to boost SEND transition to adulthood as Ofsted/CQC find systemic “longstanding weakness”
- Becoming Future Ready for adult life as a Disabled young person
- Think work first: Supporting young disabled people into work
- The true cost of cuts to post-16 transport support? Disabled young people’s life chances
- Post-16: mental capacity and the SEND Tribunal
- The Lords publishes a “blueprint” to help young disabled people “thrive in work” saying too many are “written off”
- The next government must act to flatten the support ’cliff edge’ as young people with SEND become adults
- All our articles about Post-16
- Beyond EHCPs: Why Inclusion Needs More Than a Document
- The Unacceptable Truth: 20 SEND legal rights at risk from the Government’s SEND reforms
- How health and family support systems are failing children starting school
- WEBINAR RECORDING! The implications for children’s legal rights to EHCPs and EOTAS of the Government’s SEND proposals
- When things go right: Shining a light on SEND Practitioners making a positive impact [Giveaway!]
- From suspicion to support: why the Government’s child protection reforms matter for disabled children
- Have your say on the future of transport for disabled children and young people
- Unison voices major concerns over SEND reform health plans for sick and disabled children out of school in the EOTAS consultation
- Top Tips for the EOTAS & EHCP consultation: Protect your child’s rights to statutory SEND support
- Navigating constraints: Why a former PCF chair thinks the current model is missing the mark for families
- Dear Secretary of State for Education, Lucy Powell: an Open Letter from Special Needs Jungle and SEND legal charity SOS!SEN
- Research: Disabled young people define inclusive education as “learning in the place that’s right for them”
What kind of government is “bold” enough to scrap statutory EHCPs from vulnerable children?May 16, 2025
The SEND reforms in the Schools White Paper reveal rights given, and rights stripped awayFebruary 24, 2026
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- WEBINAR RECORDING! The implications for children’s legal rights to EHCPs and EOTAS of the Government’s SEND proposals - September 3, 2026
- From suspicion to support: why the Government’s child protection reforms matter for disabled children - August 28, 2026
- Have your say on the future of transport for disabled children and young people - August 25, 2026
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