Hub for AI and Disability Inclusion

There is rapid growth in artificial intelligence (AI) across Africa, creating significant potential to improve access to services, participation, and outcomes for people with disabilities. However, this potential remains largely unrealized due to systemic gaps, including the absence of disability‑representative data, fragmented and under‑resourced innovation ecosystems, and limited integration of disability inclusion within national and continental AI strategies. Without intentional action, AI risks reinforcing existing inequities rather than reducing them.

This project establishes the AI4D Hub for AI and Disability Inclusion (HAIDI) - Africa’s first continent‑wide coordination platform dedicated to embedding disability inclusion across the full AI lifecycle. HAIDI will develop Africa‑centric, disability‑inclusive datasets; support and scale high‑potential inclusive AI innovations; and co‑create governance frameworks to strengthen disability‑inclusive AI policymaking. Through coordinated work across data, innovation and scaling, and governance, the Hub aims to build a more inclusive, ethical, and sustainable AI ecosystem that delivers tangible benefits for people with disabilities across Africa.