Africa’s untapped equaliser of opportunity

FOR millions of blind and partially sighted persons in South Africa and across Africa, each day is a stark reminder that access to assistive technology is not yet a lived reality. And for many, it remains a distant dream.

- DR ASHLEY SUBBIAH

In South Africa alone, there are an estimated 2.5 million people living with visual impairments. And yet, access to essential assistive devices such as screen readers, magnification software, Braille displays, and accessible mobile applications is largely restricted to those who can afford them or those lucky enough to benefit from under-resourced public systems or donor support.

For the vast majority, the journey toward autonomy is blocked — not by a lack of ability, but by the absence of enabling tools.

One of the most enduring misconceptions about assistive technology is that it’s a special concession - a form of benevolence extended to those who are “less fortunate.” This framing not only undermines the agency of persons with disabilities but also perpetuates a development model rooted in dependency.

Assistive technology must be mainstreamed as a public good. It should be embedded in national policies alongside education, transport, housing, and healthcare. When a child in rural Limpopo cannot read their textbooks because their school does not provide accessible learning materials, it is not a misfortune - it is a rights violation. When a job-seeker in Lusaka or Nairobi is turned away because the online application platform is incompatible with screen reading software, it is not an inconvenience — it is systemic exclusion.

Globally, assistive technology is a booming sector — yet most of the devices are developed in the Global North, priced in foreign currencies, and distributed by multinational companies that have little understanding of the African context.

We need to flip this model.