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Helping someone connect socially starts with what they want—not with enrolling them in an activity. Real connection means relationships, belonging and participation chosen by the person. A person can be present in a community without having friends or feeling included, so support should make reciprocal relationships possible and address barriers in the community as well as individual support needs.
What does social connection mean?
Social connection is more than attending a program or being physically near other people. It can mean friendship, shared interests, being known by others, or taking part in community life in a way that feels meaningful to the person. The person—not a service provider or supporter—should define what connection looks like for them.
Disability is shaped by the interaction of a person’s health condition with personal and environmental factors. That means a difficulty joining in is not necessarily a problem to solve within the person: inaccessible transport, communication barriers, cost, staff practices or negative attitudes may also be getting in the way.
How can you help someone make friends?
Start with the person’s interests and choices
Ask what the person enjoys, who they would like to meet, and what friendship or community participation means to them. Explore where, when and how they want to take part. Do not assume that a particular group, activity or peer network will suit them simply because it is available.
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Connect interests to ordinary community opportunities
Look for groups and activities the person has chosen—such as sport, arts, outdoor activities or other local interests. The aim is not just to get through the door but to create opportunities for shared activity and reciprocal contact with community members.
Make access practical
Before an activity, consider what would make participation possible and comfortable. Depending on the person and setting, that could mean arranging accessible transport or a building entrance, explaining communication preferences to organizers, addressing cost, or discussing how staff and other participants can support inclusion.
Support participation over time
An introduction or one-time visit can open a door, but it does not guarantee a lasting relationship. The Side By Side workshop description notes that relationships grow through showing up, trying things and learning. A supporter may need to help with the first visits, work through difficulties and gradually step back as the person’s connections develop—guided by what the person wants.
What approaches can support belonging?
A 2022 umbrella systematic review of interventions for adults with intellectual disability, psychosocial disability or autism identified three broad approaches associated with improved participation, inclusion or belonging. They can be combined, but the review does not establish one best model for everyone.
| Approach | What it can involve | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Find and connect to opportunities | Person-centred planning and help identifying community options | Does this opportunity reflect the person’s interests and chosen way of participating? |
| Provide opportunities | Access to activities such as community groups, sport, outdoor pursuits or arts | Is there a real chance to meet and interact with others, rather than only attend? |
| Build participation skills and capacity | Support that helps the person take part in social and community life | What support would help the person participate with greater confidence or independence? |
The review also points to community capacity building, peer support and advocacy as ways to help communities become more accessible and make genuine choice possible. The focus should be both on the person’s preferred participation and on whether the community is ready to welcome it.
What barriers can communities remove?
The World Health Organization describes disability as resulting from the interaction of health conditions with personal and environmental factors. Its examples of barriers include negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings, and limited social support. When environments are inaccessible, equal participation can be harder; addressing those barriers can improve social participation.
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- Transport and buildings: Check whether the person can get to the activity and use the venue.
- Communication: Ask what communication access or adjustments the person wants, rather than guessing.
- Attitudes and practices: Work with organizers and community members to support respectful, reciprocal interaction.
- Ongoing support: Consider whether the person can return and build familiarity, not just attend once.
WHO estimates that 1.3 billion people—about 16% of the global population—experience significant disability. This is a global estimate of disability, not a measure of loneliness or social isolation among people with disabilities. In its 2025 report on social connection, WHO treats loneliness and social isolation as broad public-health concerns; its reported patterns across age groups and country-income levels are not disability-specific prevalence figures.
How can technology help without replacing relationships?
Assistive technology can support functioning, inclusion and participation. WHO includes physical products such as wheelchairs, glasses, prostheses, white canes and hearing aids, as well as digital tools such as speech recognition, time-management software and captioning. Whether any particular tool is useful depends on the individual and the barrier they face; there is no universally appropriate device for making social connections.
WHO reported in a 2 January 2024 fact sheet that more than 2.5 billion people globally need one or more assistive products, and estimated that the number could exceed 3.5 billion by 2050. These figures describe broad assistive-product need, not demand for a specific social-connection technology.
What does the evidence say—and what does it not say?
The 2022 umbrella review pooled 28,154 participants across its included reviews, but many of those reviews were low quality and most underlying studies were rated low or moderate quality. The participant count is the size of the evidence base reviewed; it does not show how many people benefit or guarantee that a particular intervention will work.
The findings support considering opportunity-finding, inclusive activities and participation support, while tailoring choices to the person. Results for one person or setting should not be treated as a prescription for everyone. Progress is better understood by asking whether the person is forming relationships they value and taking part in ways they choose—not by counting visits alone.
A local example and a practical resource
Side By Side Advocacy is a not-for-profit organization based in Parramatta whose stated purpose is to promote the rights, needs and interests of people with disability to enable meaningful community participation. It identifies advocacy for people with intellectual disability as a particular focus.
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Side By Side Advocacy and Hunter Circles listed a one-day “Connecting with Community” workshop with Dr Angela Amado for 18 June 2026 at Parramatta Town Hall. Its description covered identifying a person’s interests, strengths and gifts; connecting with community members and groups; community connector roles; and supporting relationships to grow. It is an example of this kind of work, not evidence that the event is currently available or that every reader is in its service area.
The event page recommends Friends: Connecting People with Disabilities and Community Members, a guide associated with Angela Amado, as an introductory practical resource. Current retail availability, edition and stock have not been established.
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