NAIROBI, Kenya, June 5 – Global technology leaders and disability rights advocates at the 2026 Inclusive Africa Conference (IAC) have called for urgent reforms to ensure Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies are designed to include persons with disabilities, warning that Africa’s rapid digital transformation could deepen inequality if inclusivity is not prioritized.
Stakeholders said accessibility must be embedded in digital products from the design stage, not added later, as AI reshapes how Africans live and work.
A key concern raised was that Africa’s digital challenge has shifted from connectivity to meaningful usage of internet services.
As Irene Mbali Kirika, founder of InABLE, said, “internet services are widely available but are not being fully unlocked to reach their true potential.”
Data shared at the conference showed persistent inequality in access, with women in Africa 29% less likely than men to use mobile internet, while low-income groups and persons with disabilities remain significantly excluded.
Experts urged developers to test products with persons with disabilities to ensure real-world usability.
On employment, Massi Ndeghu, Director of Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa at Meta, said AI should be seen as a tool that complements human labour.
“AI is simply technology being able to do what humans do, but in a more efficient way, at a higher scale, and faster, inherently informed by human data,”said Ndeghu.
David Haynes, Chair of the Global Disability Innovation Hub, noted that Africa’s labour realities differ sharply from developed economies, arguing that AI could help bridge critical service gaps.
“there are currently only six to seven mental health professionals per 100,000 people on the African continent, compared to hundreds in the United States.”
However, he warned that automation of entry-level roles could disproportionately affect young persons with disabilities entering the workforce.
Affordability of devices also emerged as a key barrier, with Ndeghu noting that mobile taxes significantly restrict access, saying that taxes account for up to 30% of a mobile device’s cost in some African markets, and can rise to as high as 50% in others.
He added that submarine cable investments spanning 22,000 kilometers could improve connectivity and reduce costs over time.
Ann Salim, Senior Product Manager at Kala, said AI systems must reflect Africa’s linguistic diversity, noting ongoing work to build local language datasets.
“With over 2,000 local languages spoken across the continent, tech entities are investing in Large Language Models (LLMs).”
The Writer; Spencer Walela is an editorial assistant with Capital FM
