Botswana Federation for the Disabled - BOFOD

07/06/2026

On 4 June 2026, the Botswana Federation of the Disabled – BOFOD in strategic partnership with the University of Botswana, convened a wellness event at the University of Botswana to commemorate WorldAssistiveTechnology Day. The event was honoured by the participation of the Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled alongside academics, students and disability stakeholders.
Framed by the global theme: “Strengthening Local Innovation and Technical Capacity for Sustainable Access to Assistive Technology”,the convening advanced a central proposition: inclusion that is sustainable cannot be imported — it must be institutionalised.

The day’s design was intentionally integrative — fusing policy discourse with embodied demonstration. Wheelchair basketball, inclusive ball games, aerobics, and adaptive races functioned not merely as wellness recreation, but as lived evidence of assistive technology’s transformative capacity. Each act of participation refuted the narrative of limitation and affirmed a fundamental principle: when environmental and technological barriers are removed, capability is revealed.
BOFOD therefore asserts that embedding assistive technology design, production, maintenance, and repair within university and college curricula is not peripheral — it is foundational to Botswana’s development trajectory. The localisation of AT production is inextricably linked to health equity, economic empowerment and realisation of rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
We therefore call on government to move beyond commemoration.

Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations - ZAFOD Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled - SAFOD Unlock The Everyday

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

I am Letlhogonolo
Technology Must Work Beyond the School Gate

As we approach World Assistive Technology Day, we call on the Ministries of Education, Health, and Transport to treat accessibility as a continuous system, not a school-only service.

For visually impaired learners, braille is taught in school but often disappears after graduation. Without affordable braille materials, labels, or devices at home, the skill fades and independence is lost.

At the same time, when these same students visit clinics, health records are only written in print. Doctors and nurses often cannot communicate in braille, so patients must rely on caregivers to read private medical information. This removes dignity and confidentiality.

Outside the clinic and school, the environment itself creates barriers. Pedestrian crossings lack audible signals and tactile paving, so cane users cannot tell when it is safe to cross. Roads and walkways are designed only for sighted people, leaving blind pedestrians at risk daily.

What we ask for:
Continuity of AT: Ensure students keep basic braille tools when they leave school, and equip clinics with braille/audio options for patient records.
Accessible Health Info: Train at least one staff member per clinic in accessible communication and offer private ways for blind patients to receive health information.
Safe Mobility: Retrofit new and existing pedestrian crossings in urban areas with audible signals and tactile paving.

Assistive technology only works if it works everywhere people live, learn, work, and seek care. When AT stops at the school gate, we cut people off from full participation.



Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations - ZAFOD Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled - SAFOD ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology Unlock The Everyday University of Botswana_Official

02/06/2026

2 days to go! 4 June 2026 is World Day for Assistive Technology. Together let’s

Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations - ZAFOD Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled - SAFOD ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology Unlock The Everyday

02/06/2026

My name is Kefilwe Tshepiso Mbi from Maitengwe, I am a person with disability.

My wheelchair helps me, even though I can’t push it myself.

1.It gives me a seat at life
Without it, I’d be on a bed or the floor, watching life happen from a distance. The chair puts me at table level. At eye level. In the conversation. It gets me out of the room and into the world.

2.It brings me closer to people
I need help to move, yes. But that need created connection. People push me, and in that pushing we talk, we laugh, we build trust. The chair became a bridge. Without it, I’d be isolated. With it, I’m included.

3. It teaches me to receive
I used to hate needing help. The chair taught me that asking isn’t weakness. It’s human. It taught me patience when things are slow, and gratitude when people show up. That changed my heart more than my legs ever could.

4.It gives me presence
School, meetings, family events, church, the shop... the chair gets my body there. My mind, my ideas, my voice still do the work. I may not move the wheels, but I move conversations. I move perspectives.

If it wasn’t for this wheelchair...
My world would be 4 walls.
I’d miss birthdays, funerals, opportunities, ordinary Tuesdays.
I’d be “the one at home” instead of “Kefilwe who’s here.”
People would talk about me, not with me.

The chair doesn’t make life easy. But it makes life possible.
I may not push the wheels, but the wheels push my life forward. ♿

I’m still here. Still present. Still Kefilwe.

Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations - ZAFOD Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled - SAFOD ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology Unlock The Everyday University of Botswana_Official

01/06/2026

⏳ 3 DAYS TO GO UNTIL WORLD ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY (AT) DAY 2026!🌍♿

Across Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, and Lesotho , national organizations are gearing up for advocacy events that will bring together policymakers, government representatives, development partners, organizations of persons with disabilities, and other key stakeholders to champion access to Assistive Technology.

Assistive Technology is not a luxury, it is a gateway to education, employment, healthcare, independence, participation, and dignity for millions of persons with disabilities and older persons.

This World AT Day, we are joining the global call to by advocating for:

✅ Increased investment in Assistive Technology
✅ Stronger policies and systems that support access to AT
✅ Integration of AT into health, education, and social protection systems
✅ Meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes

In many low- and middle-income countries, access to Assistive Technology remains limited, leaving millions without the tools they need to fully participate in society. Together, we can change this reality.

📢 We call upon policymakers and decision-makers to prioritize Assistive Technology as a key enabler of inclusion and sustainable development.

An inclusive Southern Africa is possible when everyone has access to the tools they need to thrive.

💬 What Assistive Technology means the most to you or your community? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation.

27/05/2026

8 days to go!⏳

World Day for Assistive Technology is coming on _4th June_, and _BOFOD in partnership with the University of Botswana_ is proud to stand behind it.

Together, we’re advancing assistive technology to unlock dignity, independence, and equal opportunities for everyone. From hearing aids to mobility aids, every tool matters in making the everyday accessible.

This year, let’s raise awareness, break barriers, and push for action across Southern Africa and beyond.

_Together let’s Unlock The Everyday_ 💙💛




Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations - ZAFOD Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled - SAFOD ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology Unlock The Everyday

27/05/2026

25/05/2026

My glasses help me
Reading, driving, seeing my kids’ faces clearly - the little things matter. Assistive tech makes everyday life possible.





Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations - ZAFOD Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled - SAFOD ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology Unlock The Everyday

25/05/2026

Prosthetic leg helps
From walking to work to just standing in the kitchen - it gives me back my independence. Assistive tech changes lives.





Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations - ZAFOD Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled - SAFOD ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology Unlock The Everyday