First Lady calls for more digital inclusion of PLWDs
Nairobi, Thursday
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has called for enhanced digital inclusion for persons with disabilities so as to eliminate technological barriers that prevent them from accessing services.
The First Lady said the need for digital solutions has been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic which has made it necessary for people, communities and businesses to rely on access to the internet, smart technology and online services to survive.
“Most affected by the pandemic have been vulnerable, blind and visually impaired persons who, due to their circumstances, have faced multiple forms of digital exclusion such as lack of computer assistive technology, inaccessible websites or online content,” the First Lady said.
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta spoke yesterday when she delivered the keynote address at the opening of the inaugural virtual Inclusive Africa Conference 2020 that attracted over 1,000 participants from across Africa.
The conference was organised by inABLE, a non governmental organisation based in Kenya and the USA, that has been running programmes to assist children with visual disability for the last 10 years.
The First Lady emphasised the need to scale up digital access and inclusion by adopting regional and global best practices to ensure young people with disabilities are not left behind in contributing to Kenya’s development.
She expressed concern that digital services and products that fully cater for the needs of persons with disabilities including the blind and visually impaired were still lacking in many areas.
“This is a concern for many other African countries because the dialogue around digital inclusion is only just emerging,” she said. - PSCU
