Africa

EGYPT: The Ministry of Social Solidarity on Sunday has launched an initiative to employ people with disabilities, in cooperation with a private company. The initiative, dubbed “Hayah”, comes as part of national efforts to expand the social protection umbrella for people with special needs, including providing monthly cash assistance or through providing them with job opportunities.… Continue Reading »

TURKEY: Turkey’s state-run aid agency has distributed a total of 200 wheelchairs and vocational supplies to disabled people in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, according to a statement on Monday. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) launched its “End the Barriers” project in collaboration with Djibouti’s National Agency for the Disabled, providing equipment… Continue Reading »

RWANDA: For Jean Bosco Nzaramba, a person living with disability who loves to travel, using public transportation used to be a hustle. “It was difficult to find comfortable seats. Sometimes the last seat on the bus would be in between people. I had to seat and bare the discomfort until I got to my destination,” Nzaramba… Continue Reading »

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has disclosed that 8.5 million Nigerians have a disabling hearing loss. In the same vein, an audiologist, at the King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, Prof. Dele Owolawi, has revealed that most Nigerians are losing their hearing abilities gradually due to noise from power generating set. Owolawi, who disclosed this recently… Continue Reading »

Last month, GDI Hub and Kenyan partners launched in Nairobi, Kenya the World’s First Innovation Ecosystem dedicated to supporting over 50 start-ups to develop new Assistive Technology products and services. The Accelerator will be part of the Innovate Now programme, a £1.5m investment in African businesses that will provide advanced business and technical support to accelerate… Continue Reading »

Independence within the disabled community is becoming far more of an important focus and as such the use of one’s own vehicle without assistance is an integral part of that, says Dominic Sierra, Mobility Consultant at Chairman Industries. The need to adapt and convert vehicles for use by the disabled is vital and is whole-heartedly… Continue Reading »

Sightsavers, an international charity working to prevent avoidable blindness, support equality for people with disabilities and advocate for change, has a new film that sets out their work to make health care services accessible and inclusive for everyone. The film focuses on their programmes in Bhopal, India and Nampula, Mozambique. It highlights how they work… Continue Reading »

MALTA: eCabs, a leading passenger transport service provider in Malta, is embarking on a ‘reduced mobility agenda’, intended to offer an improved passenger experience and ensure stronger accessibility and ease of use of it services. As part of this agenda, eCabs has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commission for the Rights of Persons with… Continue Reading »

KENYA: Nairobi county plans to revamp the public transport system to accommodate people living with disabilities. The Public Road Transport and Traffic Management Bill 2018 suggests that priority in boarding and alighting be given to persons with disability, elderly persons, pregnant women, and other special-needs people. It says PSV crews should reserve seats for people… Continue Reading »