AI Assistive Technologies (ATS) For Persons With Disabilities (PWDS) In Africa

Disability refers to the various restrictions and limitations individuals face due to bodily structures, which affect their health and complex interactions with their environment. The World Health Organisation(WHO) estimates that about 15% of the world population deals with some disability. In Africa, 10-20 percent of the population has a disability. Even with increased Information and CommunicationsTechnology (ICT) penetration in Africa, a large section of persons with disabilities (PWDs) face barriers to digital accessibility as a result of inadequate infrastructure, lack of proper accessibility features forPWDs, and high costs of Assistive Technologies and other mainstream technologies, which exacerbates the marginalization and exclusion they encounter. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the various AIAssistive Technologies (ATS) developed in Africa and the challenges facing the development and adoption of these tools.