19/09/2026
Bridging Digital Exclusion for Persons with Visual Impairment
Skill A Community was proud to be part of the stakeholder meeting on “Bridging Digital Exclusion for Persons with Visual Impairment,” hosted by the Zimbabwe Council for the Blind on 17 September 2026.
Representing Digital Haven, an initiative of Skill A Community, Crestabel joined stakeholders from government, civil society and the disability sector to discuss digital accessibility, AI inclusion and the barriers faced by persons with visual impairments.
The discussions highlighted challenges including the high cost of assistive technologies, limited resources, lack of digital skills and confidence, inaccessible platforms, gaps between policies and implementation, and the need for information and services to be available in accessible and local languages.
We also heard directly from persons with visual impairments about their experiences. One story that stood out was how, when computers were introduced at a school, learners who were blind were sometimes excluded and given free periods while other learners used the computers. It was a powerful reminder that digital exclusion can begin long before someone gets online.
A key message from Hon. Eng. Mvumbi Stanley from the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services was that persons with disabilities need to be involved in the design, testing and review of digital systems from the beginning not considered only after systems have already been created.
The conversation also explored AI, privacy, user control, assistive technology and the importance of ensuring that innovation does not leave people behind.
For us at Digital Haven, the meeting was also an important moment of reflection. We work to create safer and more inclusive digital spaces, but this experience reminded us that inclusion requires us to continuously ask who may still be missing.
How accessible are the digital spaces we create? Who can participate? Who can navigate them independently?
