Judith Okite Founder, Association for Accessibility and Equality (AAFE); Faculty member, Kenya School of Internet Governance
Digital accessibility in Kenya after COVID-19 First published on Diplo Blog, 16 December When the COVID-19 outbreak was first announced in Kenya in March 2020, panic began as people saw the effects of curfews and the closing of offices, businesses, and schools. Three days after the initial information regarding the first COVID-19 case, the Kenyan president announced measures to curb the spreading of the virus. Among them was the adoption of cashless transaction and remote work. The adoption of these measures emphasised the problem of digital accessibility in Kenya. Digital accessibility is commonly defined as the ability of a website, mobile application, or electronic document to be easily navigated and understood by a wide range of users, including people who have visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities. In the above-mentioned presidential briefing, sign-language interpreting was not available. Following an outcry from the affected community, TV stations were ordered to provide sign-language interpreting in their COVID19-related broadcasts. However, when one watched these types of broadcasts via YouTube, it was necessary to turn on the captions. This example only highlights a broader problem. Despite Kenya being recognised as a global tech-savvy country, persons with disabilities still struggle with accessing basic information online or via local apps, since these platforms were not developed with accessibility in mind. There are exceptions to this trend. The Kenyan mobile company Safaricom, for example, has been putting efforts into improving accessibility. In 2018, it developed a braille wearable computing device known as the Dot Braille Watch, which displays SMS notifications in braille, enabling visually impaired persons to read their M-PESA (mobile banking service) messages and conduct financial transactions via their mobile phones. Innovations
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