Persons with disabilities face significant barriers to meaningful online engagement, including inaccessible tools and platforms, costly assistive technologies, and low levels of digital literacy. As part of its work to support inclusive economic growth, CIPE is addressing these barriers with partners such as CIPESA, short for the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa, based in Uganda.
Bridging the digital divide remains a key challenge in many African countries. As in many countries worldwide, governments there have passed national laws that guarantee the rights of persons with disabilities, including online, yet implementation has been slow. CIPE’s work with CIPESA includes developing the ICT Accessibility Indicators, a framework that assesses how governments are fulfilling their commitments to providing accessible digital spaces. With CIPE’s guidance, CIPESA also supported three organizations in Kenya, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe through its African Digital Rights Fund (ADRF) grantee program. The organizations piloted the ICT Accessibility Indicators and implemented advocacy projects in their local contexts.
Most recently, CIPE and CIPESA hosted sessions on the importance of advancing digital inclusion for persons with disabilities at the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) held in September 2024 in Dakar, Senegal. CIPESA organizes FIFAfrica annually to convene a wide range of stakeholders dedicated to protecting digital rights across Africa.
During FIFAfrica, CIPE and CIPESA collaborated with the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) and the Thomson Reuters Foundation to organize a capacity-building workshop on September 25 entitled “Advancing Disability Rights in a Digitalized World across Africa.” The workshop focused on equipping participants with the knowledge, tools, and skills needed to advance policy conversations to foster more accessible digital spaces. The event brought together approximately 20 participants from countries such as Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Cote D’Ivoire, Kenya, and Senegal.
During the workshop, participants explored the current legal and regulatory landscape and highlighted the importance of engaging with diverse stakeholder groups to enhance the effectiveness of digital inclusion initiatives. The event also provided opportunities for participants to share their own experiences advocating for accessible digital spaces in their local contexts. A full readout of the event can be found at CIPESA’s website.
In addition to the capacity building workshop, CIPE, CIPESA, and the Thomson Reuters Foundation organized a panel discussion on September 26 entitled “Strengthening Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in Africa.” The panel focused on how diverse stakeholder groups, such as the local private sector, civil society, and government can work together to advance digital inclusion and accessibility online. The panel convened approximately 35 participants and featured Morgan Frost, CIPE Global Senior Program Manager; Awoke Dagnew, who volunteers for Together!, a civil society organization based in Ethiopia; Sarah Akunor from the Ghana Blind Union; Lynnet Onyango, Senior Legal Counsel at the Thomson Reuters Foundation; Ruth Balounga, Counsel at DLA Piper Africa in Senegal; and Dr. Abdul Busuulwa, a board member of CIPESA.
As stakeholders across Africa and the world increasingly rely on the internet for social and economic engagement, prioritizing the empowerment and inclusion of persons with disabilities online is imperative. Continued participation in international fora, such as FIFAfrica, is also essential in developing partnerships to foster more inclusive and accessible digital spaces.
Published Date: December 02, 2024