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Opening digital space for persons with disabilities
In the context of disability, digital accessibility means designing and developing digital products and services that are inclusive and usable by people with diverse disabilities.
What you need to know:
- As governments roll out e-services and the private sector develops fintech and EdTech platforms, persons with disabilities are often left behind.
- When digital systems are not designed for inclusion, they become invisible walls, blocking access to jobs, education, finance, healthcare, or civic participation.
While attending the Global Disability Summit 2025, a young African man emotionally shared how he cannot use digital banking apps in his country because they lack the accessibility features he needs as a visually impaired person. This leaves him dependent on others to manage his finances, stripping away his privacy.
This scenario is repeated across many African countries, highlighting the urgent need for digital accessibility. In the context of disability, digital accessibility means designing and developing digital products and services that are inclusive and usable by people with diverse disabilities, ensuring equal access, participation, and independence in the digital world.
This is not a luxury or a privilege. It is a fundamental human right, recognised in global frameworks like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), where Article 3(f) identifies accessibility as a core principle for full and effective participation in society.
The world marks Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) each year on the third Thursday of May, a moment to pause and reflect on the state of digital access for more than 1.3 billion persons with disabilities.
Roughly 16 per cent of Africa’s 1.4 billion people are estimated to be persons with disabilities (World Bank). Yet despite rising connectivity and technological advances, systemic barriers persist.
Mainstreaming digital accessibility
Africa’s digital economy is the next frontier, poised to create youth employment and export digital services globally. With the assistive tech sector projected to hit $32.25 billion by 2030, the continent must incentivise innovators and enterprises to build for this strategic market.
As governments roll out e-services and the private sector develops fintech and EdTech platforms, persons with disabilities are often left behind. When digital systems are not designed for inclusion, they become invisible walls, blocking access to jobs, education, finance, healthcare, or civic participation.
For too long, Africa’s accessibility agenda has focused on survival - food, water, shelter. These remain vital, but in a digital-first world, access to technology and accessible services is equally critical.
Digital accessibility is no longer abstract - it is a prerequisite for independent living, education, employment, and full participation. And it must be intentional. Accessibility should not be an afterthought or compliance checkbox. It must be a core design principle, embedded across all services - from transportation and healthcare to education and governance.
On GAAD 2025, we must move beyond awareness to action. Mainstreaming digital accessibility across sectors is essential to a more inclusive Africa.
Let us use forums like the Inclusive Africa Conference 2025, running from June 3-5 in Nairobi, to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and drive collective action toward a truly inclusive digital future.
The writer is the founder and executive director of inABLE.org [email protected]