SA launches disability-led tech innovation programme

A new initiative, the Disability Technology and Innovation Programme (DTIP), aims to place people with disabilities at the forefront of South Africa’s technology and innovation agenda. It seeks to ensure that persons with disabilities can participate in and lead a rapidly changing technological age.

The programme was launched at the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein last week (4 August 2025) by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), an entity of the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI).

DTIP addresses the longstanding exclusion of people with disabilities from the technology and innovation space by promoting the development of disability-focused innovations and technologies, enhancing full and equal participation in the innovation and entrepreneurship process. It has a particular focus on scaling innovations developed by and for persons with disabilities, many of whom are youth with lived experience.

“The launch of this programme reflects TIA’s strategic commitment to embedding inclusivity across the National System of Innovation,” says Dr Anitha Ramsuran, TIA manager for transformation and innovation for inclusive development.

“Persons with disabilities have been systemically excluded from participating meaningfully in South Africa’s innovation space. With DTIP, we are not only creating access, but we are also enabling leadership, ownership, and equity for innovators with disabilities and users alike.”

In parallel with the DTIP launch, the deputy minister of science, technology, and innovation, Ms Nomalungelo Gina, unveiled four locally developed technologies designed to enhance the lives of persons with disabilities in SA. These innovations, previously supported by TIA through the Grassroots Innovation Programme (GIP) and the Technology Development Assistance Fund (TADF), include solutions created by innovators with disabilities.

They include:

• Ka-Dah Device: A wearable system allowing visually impaired users to operate smartphones through audio commands.
• Virecom: A video remote interpreting service that provides real-time access to SA Sign Language at public service points.
• WeSignIt: A QR code-powered app that translates written content into SA Sign Language.
• ShazaCin: An audio-described storytelling app that enables blind users to engage with films and tourist experiences.

Ms Sebenzile Matsebula, TIA board member and disability rights advocate, says: “For too long, innovation has not spoken to the realities of people with disabilities. With DTIP, we are not just opening doors, we are redesigning the entire space to make sure those doors exist in the first place. This programme ensures that innovation is not only accessible but led by those it seeks to serve.

“As a woman with a lived experience of disability, I understand first-hand the power of inclusive technologies to transform lives and unlock opportunities.”

TIA announced the development of a national database of disability technologies, which will be used to upscale these innovations through further technology development and commercialisation. A dedicated Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Rural Assisted Devices, funded by TIA and operated by Shonaquip, will serve as a national testing site for inclusive products for persons with disabilities.

The launch aligns with SA’s leadership role in the G20 Disability Inclusion Working Group, reaffirming the country’s position as a global advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). It follows Psycho-Social Disability Awareness Month, amplifying public consciousness and policy action around disability inclusion and innovation.