On Sunday 29 May 2023 highly organized international conference is held in Mogadishu. Inclusive Africa Conference Theme Attaining Digital accessibility the Assistive technology in Africa 29-31 May 2032.   The conference is hosted by SDN Somalia Disability Network one the watch part in twenty states member Africa. events organised the DPOs and funded InAble . Held in Mogadishu At Prime Place Hotel participated by PWDs, DPOs, SCOs and member of the government.
Inclusive Africa Conference for assistive technology conference organized to raise the digital gap in Africa and the best of the people in Africa the assistive technology mainly the PWDs Persons with disabilities. Africa needs inclusion for all society that prevents all barriers in front of the PWDs in the continent. There are million PWDs inhabited the continent who the most poorest in the world disability people.
The inclusive Africa conference made mobilization of hundreds people participants  in Nairobi Kenya  place  of central event connecting  separate countries in the continent  sharing common with virtual platform that connect all 20 events in one screen. Giving role each state. beside the main conference is hosted in Nairobi Kenya with participant from many countries and regions representing organization and institution public and private both national and international
In Mogadishu one of the local DPO network the SDN Somali Disability Network managed to host smart event in Primo Place Hotel participated 30 persons from variety representations mostly the PWDs and the DPOs. Where key speech was made people who role in the CSOs and the DPOs in Somalia. The majority of the participant were youth mostly graduate who serve years in education with and without assistive technology accessibility. Some of them narrated painful case in their lives attributed lack of assistive technology
The three days international event for the fourth inclusive Africa  was live participated many people virtual in the world including Somalia . the members of the SDN network has participated the three day and has found many ideas exchanged in the conference. Seminary the member DPOs has participated the virtual events in separate  location.
The major argument in the conference was lack of awareness for the ATs accessible assistive technology in Somalia. Where  parents, care givers and members from the PWDs mostly has no information about the ATs service advantages and disadvantages.  The participants raised the need for more awareness to the PWDs and members of their families for the ATs service and products.
Mss. Fartun Mohamed Elmi  ( Hearing Difficulty)  Disability Inclusion Specialist the secretary General SDN briefly outlines the assistive technology  made presentations and panel discussions  which focus on the accessible assistive technology situation in Somalia. Where there is high level of gap for the availability,  accessibility, adorability, safety, quality,   and sustainability of the service and products for the user mostly the children and the youth with disabilities.  Lack of source of distribute for the service was one of the top points under scored in the conference.
Mr. Muse Hassan Cadle The chairperson of the SIEN Somalia Inclusive education Network which serve for  hundreds children mostly the visual and hearing impairment students in Somalia raised importance of advocacy and awareness for the ATs. Very little members of the students are accessible and awareness   the ATs service. Mostly the deaf and the blind children. Somalia post conflict sate where there is no  social service security that can help the family’s support is not easy for the children enjoy ATs in schools or day-today life.  Seminary the donors in Somalia  are not in position to support the schools and the students from the disability people who have impairment.
Presentations, Panel Discussions And Key Speeches Made In The Conference
Mr. Abdullahi Hassan the chairperson of the Somalia Disability Alliance SODA wheelchair user was the moderator of the event who has long time experience for the use of assistive technology. He said in Africa Somalia its very difficult to but or get mobility support tolls like wheelchairs. Its more expensive unaffordable. Where it is not accessible people to use wheelchairs in the sand streets in Mogadishu. Where is
Mr. Mohamed Elmi Mahila the chairperson of the Somali human right cluster said. Every persons has unimaginable rights written in the constitution and national laws and well as the international convention and protocol passed the states. This has obligations to insure the children, youth and adult people with disabilities access assistive technology  cheap, that can allow them day-to-day live. Beside there should be quality that very important to insure the goods and served imported or made in the country should be safe and no harm for the end users.  We call to the government adopt legislation and policies that can support easily available, attainable and accessible
Mr. Abdirahman Kulane member of the visual impaired youth organization UDHAN raised his concern for the assistive technology scarcity in Somalia.  We demand education, emolument and participation social In Somalia there is no national braille language.  Visual impaired schools in Somalia use different brails this problem to the students. the education development funds in Somalia has not made possible to consultant with target people who has variety needs. They made decision with their interest. NDA national disability agency did nothing so far. We need support for the schools and organization working the education for the blind people.
Mr. Yusuf Sheikh Ali Adow the secretary General of Somalia National Council said as visual impaired ATs is essential for our lives and work. I work in school for the blind people where there is no braille machines that support student read and write their lesson. Text books where teacher do not have materials to prepared the exams. Besides lack of mobility white cane that may help the students worked in the schools and outside the school. We use for the students bard and stile manual reading and writing learning materials. So far the donors and the government has not made possible to support visual impaired learning materials and assistive technologies.
Mr. Abdullahi Hussein Osman the chairperson of the SDN said we are very much leased to organize this event with partnership the inable the fourth inclusive Africa getting accessible assistive technology is an insure that has not been debated so far I nthe country.  Somalia a country with high number of PWDs mostly  children and youth with majority of school going age . unfortunately these children and youth are not able to attend school for lack of assistive technology. The number of people who can buy is less 10%.
The main cause of the problems include lack of  disability policy in Somalia, national act and strategic plans that may   insures the protection of the children with disabilities rights in the society. The country is humanitarian dependent mostly, the donors did not made an role to fill in the gap for the lack of ATs in Somalia. Every year billions dollar are spend for the education, health care, protection and humanitarian programs. Mostly planned and implement the exclusion of the PWDs as beneficiaries and DPOs partnership.
The Conclusion Made In the Presentations And Discussions Of The Conference
Member participating the inclusive Africa conference 2023  made discussions and debate that lead finally to issue and statement demonstrate the concern for the PWDs for the ATs service and equipment availability, accessibility, affordable  and sustainability  as welfare or private demand. The findings shows that here gape that exist in the country mostly lack of awareness for the users of the ATs and their families and the lack of polices and laws that insure social protect for the citizens.  The conference made five key recommendations to the PWDs, DPOs, CSOs, international donors and the federal government of Somalia.
The Findings Recorded From the Participants Of The Conference
- Lack of awareness the assistive technology accessibility in the society and the advantages and the disadvantages for the service and the equipment mainly the majority of the  parents, care givers and the youth and the adult PWDs in the country
- Distribution of ATs service and equipment gap in the country. there are no public distribution of assistive technology for the people. And subside program that can help the people with law income can get donations that help elimination barriers from the PWDs who need mobility aid, hearing aid vision support.
- Lack of national strategic plans, policy, affirmative action plan and disability act in the country that could insure the disability inclusion as really intervention that could address the problems facing the disability people for their right a citizen. And national disability fund that invest rehabilitation facilities in the country
The Recommendations Made In the Conference
- Mass community awareness should be made for the parents of the children with impairment, the youth and the adult people access for information of the ATs service accessibility the advantages and the disadvantages of the service and equipment.
- The DPOs and CSOs should make organised comparing that support the families of the children with divers impairments, the youth with disabilities and the adult people with disabilities both male and females access of ATs service and materials distribution with support and partnership of the donors
- The international community and the donors should make disability inclusion policies, strategic plans and implementation guide that help the inclusion their service and program the PWDs as beneficiaries with cooperation and partnership their actors the DPOs and the schools that provide the
- The federal government of Somalia should give priority its people particularly the PWDs and members of their families’ protection of social inclusion through establishment of news law the disability act, affirmative action plan, disability inclusion policy and strategic plans with national disability statistics and the implementation of the CRC and CRPD which are international conventions ratified Somalia.
- Strengthen the mobility support and rehabilitation service in the country which is very law that could not serve the people in need on the ground. The physiotherapy, speech therapy, orthopedics surgeons that reduce the disability in the children
SDN Somalia DIsability Network
Email: somali.disability.network@gmail.com
Mobile: + 252 615841666
