The context
Ghana, a West African nation known for its rich cultural heritage and economic growth, faces challenges in ensuring inclusive access to education and technology. The visually impaired community in Ghana often experiences significant barriers to accessing digital resources, which are crucial for education, employment, and social integration. Recognizing the urgent need to bridge this digital divide, the ITU and the STMicroelectronics Foundation have collaborated to offer basic digital skills training tailored for visually impaired individuals in Ghana.
ST Foundation’s Presence
Under the umbrella of the existing collaboration, the ITU and the STMicroelectronics Foundation have been working together to offer basic digital skills training for visually impaired people in Ghana.
In November 2023, the Foundation, with the support of the ITU and its local partner, the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), launched the inaugural ICB4VI train-the-trainers course. Held at the University of Ghana, the training aimed to narrow the digital gap for blind people in the country, gathering the first 20 trainers. Through low-cost assistive technologies for education, this course sought to help people with visual impairments familiarize themselves with technology.
By giving sighted trainers an immersive experience similar to their visually impaired counterparts, the program took a new approach to promoting empathy and understanding. Thanks to Professor Bernareggi and Sada Kane, who managed the three-week course, it was possible to graduate all the participants ready to cascade this unique experience further.
Based on this first activity, at the end of June 2024, our local partner is already cascading the course, reaching almost 500 visually impaired Ghanaian citizens. By addressing the specific needs of the visually impaired community, this initiative is a significant step towards fostering an inclusive digital environment, enabling individuals with visual impairments to access the same opportunities as their sighted peers.
