How Africa’s AI boom is leaving 100 million disabled citizens behind

Over 100 million Africans live with a disability, yet their unique characteristics, such as local sign languages, speech accents, and street layouts, are often overlooked in global AI models. To address this issue, the Hub for AI and Disability Inclusion (HAIDI) and the African Disability Data Network (ADDN) have been established as part of a pan-African coalition dedicated to building the necessary data infrastructure for inclusive AI in Africa.

These initiatives, supported by organizations like the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and AI4D, aim to enhance disability-centered data systems, foster inclusive AI innovation, advance research, and promote ethical AI governance. While HAIDI serves as the continental hub and research focus, ADDN functions as a coordination and discovery network that assists researchers, startups, policymakers, and institutions in identifying disability-related datasets and connecting with the organizations managing them.

By acting as a bridge rather than a central repository for sensitive disability data, ADDN helps reduce duplication and encourages collaboration across countries and institutions. The first objective of HAIDI is to conduct a comprehensive mapping of existing disability data across Africa, recognizing the current gaps in datasets for African sign languages and local languages.

This mapping exercise will lay the foundation for the development of inclusive AI solutions that cater to the diverse needs of disabled citizens across the African continent.