Online Reporter
Fatima Bulla-Musakwa
Herald Reporter
TECHNOLOGY was once regarded as a luxury.
Today, it underpins almost every aspect of daily life.
From mobile banking and online learning to telemedicine, e-commerce and digital government services, the world has increasingly shifted online.
Digital platforms now determine how people communicate, access education, earn a living, receive healthcare and participate in civic life.
For millions of persons with disabilities, however, this digital revolution presents both unprecedented opportunities and persistent barriers.
While technology has become a powerful tool for independence and inclusion, inaccessible digital systems continue to exclude many from fully participating in society.
For many Zimbabweans with disabilities, digital technologies have already transformed everyday life.
Platforms such as WhatsApp, Zoom and Facebook have made it possible to participate in advocacy meetings, training programmes and peer support groups without the physical barriers associated with travel.
Online banking, digital learning platforms and virtual healthcare services have expanded access to education, employment, financial services and healthcare.
Assistive technologies have been central to this transformation.
Screen readers such as JAWS and NVDA, together with voice recognition software on smartphones, have enabled people with visual impairments to independently access banking services, education and employment opportunities.
Voice-controlled technologies have also created new opportunities for people with physical disabilities to communicate more efficiently and perform everyday tasks with greater independence.
Modern mobility devices have further improved movement, allowing many people with physical disabilities to participate more fully in community and economic life.
Incomplete
Yet despite these advances, digital inclusion remains far from complete.
Many websites and mobile applications are still incompatible with screen readers, while countless online videos lack captions or sign language interpretation.
These shortcomings create unnecessary barriers for people who are blind, deaf or hard of hearing.
A visually impaired person may be unable to navigate a government website because it is incompatible with screen-reading software, while a deaf user may miss critical public information because video content lacks captions or sign language interpretation.
The high cost of smartphones, computers, assistive technologies and internet data further limit access, particularly for low-income households.
Poor internet connectivity in many rural communities continues to widen the digital divide, while limited digital literacy means many people with disabilities are either unaware of assistive technologies or lack the skills to use them effectively.
Recognising these challenges, disability rights organisations are advocating for accessibility to become a standard feature of digital development rather than an afterthought.
Signs of Hope Trust, an organisation promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, has developed accessibility guidelines for public institutions to help Government agencies and service providers make their websites, digital platforms and online services accessible to everyone.
Programmes manager Ms Jennifer Madiriza said accessibility continues to be overlooked during the design stage of many digital products.
She said many applications launch without accessibility features like alt-text, keyboard navigation or sign language interpretation.
“We still have a long way to go before digital spaces are truly for everyone,” she said.
“Our members face three main barriers which are affordability — smartphones, data bundles and assistive software are costly for many households; connectivity — rural members struggle with poor or no internet access; and limited training on how to use assistive technologies. Many members don’t know these tools exist or how to use them safely,” she said.
Although Zimbabwe has enacted the Persons with Disabilities Act and adopted the National ICT Policy, disability advocates believe implementation must now become the priority.
They argue that while policy commitments exist, there are still few enforceable standards requiring websites, mobile applications and government digital platforms to comply with internationally recognised Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Advocates are calling for mandatory accessibility standards across government websites, digital banking platforms, telecommunications services, e-learning systems and emerging Artificial Intelligence technologies.
They also believe accessibility should become a compulsory requirement in public procurement so that every digital platform developed using public resources is accessible from the outset.
“We see big gaps in monitoring, accountability and funding for inclusive digital infrastructure,” Ms Madiriza said.
The National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH) shares similar concerns.
Its director, Ms Joyce Matara, said Zimbabwe’s rapid digital transformation presents a unique opportunity to build inclusive technologies, provided accessibility is embedded into product design from the beginning.
“We are seeing encouraging progress, particularly from global technology companies that are increasingly integrating accessibility features into their products. Zimbabwe’s digital landscape is also evolving as more services move online.
“Products should be developed using the principles of universal design so that everyone can use them from the outset, regardless of disability,” she said.
Artificial Intelligence is emerging as another area of both promise and concern. Zimbabwe’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, launched in March, has the potential to significantly improve accessibility through innovations such as real-time captioning, speech recognition, automated image descriptions and personalised learning tools.
However, experts caution that AI can just as easily reinforce exclusion if systems are developed without considering the needs of persons with disabilities.
“That is why persons with disabilities must be involved in designing, testing and evaluating digital and AI solutions from the beginning. As we often say, nothing about us without us,” Ms Matara said.
Zimbabwe has already established a comprehensive legal and policy framework to support disability inclusion.
The Constitution guarantees equality, dignity and access to information, while the Persons with Disabilities Act strengthens the rights of persons with disabilities by promoting accessibility and reasonable accommodation.
The National Disability Policy mainstreams disability across government planning, budgeting, implementation and evaluation, while the National ICT Policy (2022-2027) promotes digital accessibility by encouraging affordable assistive devices, including tax relief on imported technologies, and requiring Government digital platforms to progressively meet international accessibility standards.
The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy further reinforces Government’s commitment to building an inclusive digital economy.
Practical interventions are also beginning to take shape.
In May 2024, the Ministry of Health and Child Care launched the National Assistive Technology Strategy and the Assistive Products Priority List, providing a national framework for improving access to essential assistive devices ranging from wheelchairs and hearing aids to Braille displays, magnifiers and other specialised equipment.
The strategy also provides for mapping suppliers, strengthening quality control of donated devices, supporting local production of assistive technologies, training users and improving data collection to better inform policy.
These initiatives complement Zimbabwe’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the African Disability Protocol, both of which promote accessibility, personal independence and equal participation in society.
Government, through a multi-sectoral taskforce involving universities and civil society organisations, is also supporting local innovation in assistive technologies to ensure Zimbabwe keeps pace with global technological developments.
Permanent Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Professor Pfungwa Kunaka said Government views assistive technologies as essential tools for independent living rather than optional welfare support.
Working with other ministries and development partners, Government is implementing programmes that provide hearing aids, visual aids and other assistive technologies while promoting improvements in quality, affordability and accessibility.
“The National Assistive Technology Strategy has been a crucial step towards systematising these efforts and improving the quality of devices provided.
“It provides for the mapping of assistive device suppliers, quality control of donations, support for local production of assistive technologies and training in the use of assistive devices,” he said.
Government has also set a target that by 2027 all new public service digital platforms should comply with minimum accessibility standards.
Achieving that goal will require sustained investment, technical capacity and stronger accountability.
Prof Kunaka said discussions are underway to introduce pre-procurement accessibility assessments before Government signs technology contracts and to blacklist vendors that repeatedly deliver inaccessible digital solutions.
For Government, the ultimate objective extends beyond compliance.
Technology should become a gateway to dignity, independence and equal participation.
“Technology should not be seen as charity, but as a right and as an important part of national development. In the long term, a person with a disability in Zimbabwe should be able to apply for government services online, study, work, receive health information, communicate, travel, vote, access justice and run a business without being blocked by inaccessible systems,” Mr Kunaka said.
As Zimbabwe accelerates its digital transformation, the measure of success will not simply be how advanced its technologies become, but whether every citizen can use them equally.
True digital progress will be achieved when accessibility is no longer treated as a specialised feature, but as a fundamental principle of development, ensuring that no one is left behind in the country’s journey towards an inclusive digital future.
