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Perhaps it is no coincidence that Kenya’s Safaricom and South Africa’s Vodacom, two sister companies partly owned by British multinational Vodafone, have emerged as leaders in providing accessible services to persons with disabilities (PWDs).
An August 2020 report, Access Denied: How Telecom Operators in Africa Are Failing Persons With Disabilities, by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), highlighted Safaricom and Vodacom as practical examples of how digital firms can deliberately promote inclusion and help narrow the digital divide.
In an era where nearly every service is becoming digital, marginalized groups – including rural communities, PWDs, women, youth and people with low literacy levels – should not be an afterthought in the rollout of digital products and services.
The challenge is even greater for PWDs because different categories of disability present unique barriers to access. Yet, as the CIPESA report notes, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have the potential to significantly improve the lives of persons with disabilities by enabling access to information and enhancing their social and economic integration.
The United Nations notes that many of these access barriers can be addressed through assistive technologies, tools that enable persons with disabilities to perform tasks and access information. These include screen readers, screen magnification software, text readers and speech-input applications.
At a recent Disability Inclusion Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Karen Smit, Accessibility Lead at Vodacom Group, observed that many of the barriers experienced by persons with disabilities are created not by disability itself, but by how technologies, systems and environments are designed.
The CIPESA report reviewed 10 major telecom operators across five countries: Botswana (Mascom and Orange), Kenya (Safaricom and Wananchi Telecom), Nigeria (Airtel and MTN), South Africa (MTN and Vodacom), and Uganda (Airtel and MTN).
It noted that for PWDs to fully benefit from technology’s transformative potential, their rights must be protected in national laws and policies, and governments must take deliberate steps to ensure they enjoy unfettered access to quality ICT services free from discrimination.
South Africa’s Vodacom stood head and shoulders above the other companies assessed due to its deliberate approach to digital inclusion, ranging from website accessibility to dedicated products and services.
The company has tailored services and products for people with visual impairments, persons with communication barriers (deaf, hearing and speech impairment and senior citizens). The company has stocked the Alcatel 2020 easy-to-use feature phone for the elderly and PWDs.
Vodafone also offers free delivery, free SIM and connection and a free upgrade for senior citizens or PWDs. Once registered as a PWD, Vodafone offers special contracts, dedicated customer service, specialised services, and it also sets up a specific needs contact centre.
A video call option is available for registered deaf persons who use South African Sign Language (SASL), while the website has a dedicated ‘Persons with Communication Barriers Page’:
The company also retailed Apple and Android devices equipped with built-in accessibility tools such as VoiceOver and TalkBack, which convert text into audio and enable visually impaired users to access information such as SMS messages.
In Nigeria, however, members of the Joint National Association of Persons Living with Disabilities (JONAPWD) said they were unaware of accessible handsets or devices offered by telecom operators MTN and Airtel.
Visually impaired respondents interviewed during the study reported difficulties using devices sold at telecom outlets, saying many lacked essential accessibility features such as screen readers, magnifiers and voice-command functionality.
This was despite Section 15(1) of Nigeria’s Consumer Code of Practice Regulations, 2007, which requires telecommunications operators to consult consumers with disabilities when developing and delivering services.
The report concluded that many operators appeared not to be adhering to this requirement, arguing that they only retail, rather than manufacture, mobile devices.
But Vodacom’s deliberate efforts also established awareness partnerships with disability organizations such as the South African Audiology Association and the South African Speech, Language and Hearing Association.
The company further supported the development of the HearZA App, a smartphone-based national hearing test developed in partnership with the University of Pretoria to facilitate early detection of hearing impairments, especially for the elderly.
In April 2018, Vodacom launched a free SMS Emergency Service for customers with hearing and speech impairments. The service enables registered customers to request emergency assistance, including police, ambulance, fire and sea rescue services, through text messaging.
Meanwhile, Safaricom’s website incorporated adjustable font sizes and a 24-hour live chat service to assist customers navigating digital platforms.
In partnership with the Kenya Union of the Blind, Safaricom also developed a database of visually impaired customers to improve service delivery. The initiative enabled the company to flag customer accounts and connect them to specially trained customer care agents.
For most of the other telecom operators reviewed, however, researchers found little evidence of dedicated accessibility initiatives.
Key informants from Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs) in Kenya reported that Safaricom retail outlets sold standard smartphones embedded with accessibility features. This was confirmed during field visits to Safaricom outlets in Nairobi.
Uganda’s situation
In Uganda, which lacks a standalone Digital Inclusion Policy, it was perhaps unsurprising that both MTN and Airtel were found not to have made deliberate efforts to stock accessible devices for PWDs. Researchers also found no references on their websites or in their terms and conditions regarding accessibility of mobile communication services or accessible devices.
However, Brenda Maniraguha argued during a recent dialogue on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) inclusion that the absence of a dedicated digital inclusion policy should not be used as an excuse for exclusion.
She pointed to several existing frameworks, including the National Broadband Policy, which helped reduce broadband costs, the National Cybersecurity Strategy, Information Security Framework, IT hardware, cabling and cloud-computing guidelines, as well as National Payment Systems regulations covering agents and consumer protection.
According to Maniraguha, while these policies contain elements of inclusion, a dedicated Digital Inclusion Policy would provide a clear framework for measuring progress and accountability.
“We have policies, but they should, in many ways, ensure inclusivity. Even with all these, there is currently a gap,” she said.
MTN Innovation Centre in Kabale
She noted that Ugandans spend approximately 2.5 per cent of their monthly income to purchase just one gigabyte of mobile data. Women remain disproportionately affected by the digital divide.
Studies show they are significantly less likely to use mobile internet, while digital literacy levels remain low despite Uganda’s ongoing digital transformation agenda, which encompasses digital identity systems, mobile money services and e-government platforms.
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) is currently updating digital identity systems and developing solutions aimed at improving service delivery and governance. However, many of these services require smartphones, which largely remain unaffordable for large segments of the population.
“If someone is faced with poverty, they’re not going to put their money into data and therefore will not be able to access DPI services,” Maniraguha said.
She noted that although Phase V of the National Backbone Infrastructure project extended internet connectivity to all districts, the infrastructure largely serves government institutions and has not adequately reached the last mile.
Many women in rural communities still lack access to the internet, while cultural barriers continue to limit women’s use of digital services in some areas. Rural communities also face persistent broadband and infrastructure deficits, denying them opportunities available to their urban counterparts.
Digital literacy remains another major challenge. Many learners complete school without ever using a computer because connectivity and digital infrastructure remain concentrated in a limited number of schools.
Through initiatives such as UGPass, the National Digital Authentication and Electronic Signatures platform, and UGHub, the National Data Integration Platform, government is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence-driven analytics and data governance frameworks into public service delivery.
UGPass seeks to provide trusted digital identity through biometric and passwordless authentication, legally recognized digital signatures, secure consent management, trusted data-sharing mechanisms and cryptographically secure digital transactions.
According to Maniraguha, these systems have strengthened e-government services, reduced fraud and impersonation, and enhanced cybersecurity. More than 90 government entities and 68 private-sector organizations are currently connected to UGHub.
The platform has also helped reduce pressure on NIRA systems by consolidating access channels. Processes such as business registration and government payroll management have become more efficient while helping eliminate ghost workers.
However, she noted that digital governance systems depend on data from multiple institutions, yet government agencies continue to operate largely in silos. Data sharing remains slow, fragmented and often duplicated, forcing citizens to repeatedly provide the same information to different agencies.
“If someone doesn’t have access to the internet to fill in a basic form or even use WhatsApp, when are they going to use UGPass to sign electronically? When are they going to understand digital public infrastructure?” she asked.
She also cited frustrations arising from long queues, corruption and limited awareness about the importance of National IDs, even though many e-services require them. In some areas, registration centres remain inaccessible due to distance.
Beyond funding
Ethiopia has adopted a different approach to narrowing the digital divide. Telecom operators are required to contribute 1.5 per cent of their annual gross revenues to a Universal Access Fund aimed at extending connectivity to underserved communities, schools and health facilities.
According to reports, operators can either make direct contributions to the fund or invest directly in network expansion projects under a “Pay-or-Play” model.
Uganda already operates a similar mechanism through the Uganda Communications Universal Service and Access Fund (UCUSAF), formerly the Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF). Under the Uganda Communications Act, telecom operators are required to contribute 2 per cent of their annual gross revenues to support digital inclusion initiatives.
However, as Uganda’s experience demonstrates, financial contributions alone may not be enough. Several community ICT centres established under previous programmes have fallen into disrepair due to poor maintenance, limited community ownership and low utilisation.
For Maniraguha, the solution lies in making inclusion mandatory rather than optional.
“Inclusion in digital public infrastructure must be intentional, not assumed. We should have it at the forefront of every digital project,” she said.
“We can enforce inclusion by ensuring that before any system is signed off as complete, it must include assistive technologies. Otherwise, it should not be approved. That is how inclusion becomes intentional. Simply building systems and leaving people out is not sustainable.”
She added that government should leverage available development financing, including World Bank support, to increase access to affordable devices and digital services, particularly among marginalized communities.
Partnerships that lower the cost of smartphones in underserved areas, including refugee-hosting communities, could significantly improve digital participation.
Related
, https://observer.ug/technology/digital-inclusion-what-ugandan-telecoms-can-learn-from-kenyas-safaricom-and-south-africas-vodacom/
