Nairobi: Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital accessibility, refugee inclusion, and early childhood interventions dominated discussions at a major disability inclusion conference held in Nairobi. Technology experts, advocates, and development practitioners converged to share practical innovations aimed at improving the lives of persons living with disabilities (PWDs).
According to Kenya News Agency, Mariah Moon, Accessibility Product Manager for Chromebook and Android devices at Google, spoke during a session on accessibility innovations. She outlined expansions targeting visual, mobility, and hearing impairments. For blind and visually impaired users, Android’s built-in screen reader, TalkBack, now integrates Gemini AI to generate detailed image descriptions and content summaries. Other upgrades include magnification features for low-vision users, Voice Access and Auto Click for hands-free phone control, and Expressive Captions through Live Transcribe.
In terms of Workspace enhancements, Google Meet now features gesture recognition to trigger virtual hand-raises when a user raises a physical hand. The conference also addressed systemic barriers in humanitarian settings, urging development partners to involve Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) as fully certified implementing partners rather than just for community mobilization.
Financial challenges facing refugee entrepreneurs with disabilities were also highlighted. Many struggle to secure business permits and banking services due to strict documentation rules. Alex Gachahi, Project Manager for Humanity and Inclusion Kenya, called on county governments to host consultative dialogues and create local frameworks allowing alternative documentation to be accepted by financial institutions. He also expressed concern over the exclusion of PWDs during climate-related disasters, advocating for accessible communication systems and sensitive evacuation plans in emergency designs.
In healthcare, delegates commended a successful early intervention model in Kwale and Garissa counties, which prioritizes universal screening from birth. Gachahi emphasized that every child should be screened, not only those suspected of having disabilities. The initiative has trained over 160 nurses and 330 community health volunteers, established early intervention units, and expanded audiology services. Supporting caregivers was emphasized as central to sustainable disability services, with community networks and training groups reaching over 407,000 caregivers and children and distributing educational messages to 1.5 million more.
The conference concluded with a unified call for governments, technology providers, and development agencies to structurally embed disability inclusion across all future policy and technology designs.
