People with Disabilities Are Consumers Too: Why Accessibility Must Be a Business Priority
Discover how businesses can drive accessible innovation and bridge the digital divide for people with disabilities. Experts from Vodacom, Stellenbosch University, and UCT share insights on inclusive product design, assistive technology, and disability employment at Africa Tech Festival 2024. Learn why accessibility is a business imperative and how organisations can embed it into their corporate strategy.
How African Businesses Can Bridge the Digital Divide with Accessible Innovation
Note: The below article has been created using a transcript of the session video.
Accessibility is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. As technology continues to reshape industries across Africa, ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to digital products, services, and employment opportunities is critical to fostering an inclusive, innovative economy.
At Africa Tech Festival 2024, experts from Vodacom, Stellenbosch University, UCT, and disability advocacy groups discussed how businesses can make accessibility a core part of their innovation strategy.
Key themes from the discussion:
- How corporate leadership must drive accessibility
- The barriers people with disabilities face when using digital services
- Why accessibility must be embedded in business strategy, not treated as a project
- How assistive technology can improve access to education and employment
Why Accessibility Matters in Business & Digital Transformation
Despite technological advancements, accessibility remains a significant challenge for people with disabilities.
"People with disabilities are consumers too," said Dr Michelle Botha, Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Stellenbosch University. "Yet, they are often overlooked in business strategies, marketing, and product design."
With 1.3 billion people globally living with disabilities—including 140 million in Africa—businesses that fail to design for accessibility are excluding a massive customer base.
"Disability is part of human nature," noted Dr Karen Smit, Accessibility Lead at Vodacom Group. "Technology must be designed with accessibility in mind from the start—not as an afterthought."
The Role of Corporate Leadership in Driving Accessibility
Accessibility cannot be treated as a side project—it must be embedded into corporate culture and strategy.
"Inclusion is a leadership thing," stated Philip Besiimire, CEO of Vodacom Tanzania. "If I don’t lead on this, it becomes a sideshow."
Vodacom Tanzania has taken concrete steps to embed accessibility into its business model, including:
- Installing ramps in stores to ensure physical accessibility
- Introducing video calling in call centres for deaf customers
- Developing voice recognition in mobile apps to support blind users
Similarly, Mohale Ralebitso, CEO of Vodacom Lesotho, emphasised the need for corporate leaders to actively engage with accessibility initiatives:
"Technology exists to solve societal challenges. If we aren’t designing for people with disabilities from the outset, we are failing in our responsibility as business leaders."
Employment & Digital Skills: The Key to Inclusion
The digital divide is not just about access to technology—it’s also about employment opportunities.
📌 Key statistics on disability employment in Africa:
- 90% unemployment rate among people with disabilities
- 100% unemployment in rural areas
- Many qualified professionals with disabilities struggle to find jobs
"Businesses often have ‘diversity’ initiatives, but people with disabilities are left out," said Dr Adele Ebrahim, Senior Lecturer at UCT.
For true inclusion, businesses must:
✅ Hire people with disabilities and provide career progression opportunities
✅ Invest in assistive technology to improve accessibility in the workplace
✅ Challenge mindset barriers that exclude people with disabilities from hiring and promotions
"We talk about a ‘growth mindset’ in business, but when it comes to hiring people with disabilities, companies suddenly put up barriers," Ebrahim pointed out.
The Business Case for Accessibility: Why Inclusion is Profitable
Why should businesses prioritise accessibility?
- People with disabilities have spending power—they are a large and underserved consumer base.
- Inclusive workplaces perform better, attracting top talent and fostering innovation.
- Assistive technology creates new market opportunities, driving business growth.
Vodacom’s Accessibility Conference highlighted the importance of designing accessible technology at scale.
"If every tech company committed to producing assistive technology as standard, prices would drop, and access would improve," said Ralebitso.
Final Thoughts: Accessibility is the Future of Business
Key takeaways from the panel:
- Accessibility must be embedded in strategy, not treated as a project.
- Corporate leaders must drive inclusion and champion accessibility within their organisations.
- Assistive technology is critical for bridging the education and employment gap for people with disabilities.
- Businesses that invest in accessibility gain a competitive advantage by serving a broader customer base.
"We must challenge ourselves: Are we designing a world that includes everyone? If not, we are part of the problem," concluded Smit.