Launched with funding from the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (ADDPC), IHD’s Online Privacy and Safety (OPS) Project equips individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) with the knowledge and skills to protect their privacy, recognize online threats, and engage confidently in digital environments. Central to this mission is a commitment to accessibility, flexibility, and participant-centered learning.
That commitment came vividly to life when a participant with a visual impairment joined an OPS training session remotely via Zoom. As the trainer led an in-person group, they adapted materials on the spot—enhancing verbal descriptions, reading interactive content aloud, and allowing extra time—so the remote participant could fully engage alongside those attending in person. Later, she visited the training venue herself, sharing strategies for navigating digital tools and demonstrating apps like Be My Eyes and Seeing AI, which support her independence. This experience exemplifies OPS’s dedication to inclusion, adaptability, and empowering participants to safely navigate online spaces.
These values guided the program’s broader development during its first year (July 2024 – June 2025), as the OPS team piloted and refined trainings for individuals aged 15–25, conducting 14 sessions in collaboration with 11 community partners. The trainings emphasized cyberbullying, social media safety, and online dating safety, while incorporating participant feedback to continuously improve content and delivery. Partners supported recruitment, translation, accessibility, and curriculum review, and participants and families contributed insights that directly shaped new modules. Together, these efforts ensured that sessions remained inclusive, responsive, and grounded in real-world practice.
Building on this foundation, OPS Year 2 has focused on refining and expanding the curriculum for three age groups: ages 5–12, 13–17, and 18+. The team has developed interactive Canvas modules with videos, knowledge checks, and activities to enhance engagement and learning outcomes. New topics include digital identity, consent and boundaries, online relationships, and help-seeking strategies. Testing of the modules is currently underway, with live and hybrid trainings planned later this year. The program also continues to collaborate with community partners to host OPS sessions and to recruit testers for the stand-alone, asynchronous trainings. In the summer of 2026, the OPS team and these community partners anticipate a public facing rollout of the asynchronous trainings.
Through OPS, participants gain not only digital safety skills but also confidence and agency in online environments. The combination of participant-centered curriculum development, inclusive design, and community engagement positions OPS as a model for accessible, effective, and empowering digital literacy education.