The digital age promises unprecedented access and opportunity, yet for many visually impaired individuals, the gap between potential and reality remains wide. In an episode on The Ugandan Podcast, Anne Marie Wandera Bewulira (the host) engaged two international experts: Sada Kane of Digital Transformation Center, Senegal, and Professor Cristian Bernareggi from Torino University, Italy, whose discussion unpacked the design, implementation, and profound human impact of the Introduction to Computer Basics for the Visually Impaired (ICBVI) training program.
Professor Bernareggi, himself a visually impaired computer scientist, explains that the ICBVI program is designed not just for learners but primarily to train the trainers at the Uganda Institute of ICT (UICT). The goal is to establish a sustainable, inclusive educational model that can be scaled nationwide. This innovative approach uses mainstream computers equipped with open-source screen reader software, transforming a visual medium into an auditory one. The model includes both sighted and non-sighted trainees, a pioneering effort that Bernareggi notes has already shown success in countries like Pakistan.
Sada Kane, technical manager for the SD Foundation in Senegal, emphasizes that digital literacy is not about pity; it is about unlocking wasted talent. He argues passionately that when visually impaired individuals are properly skilled, they often outperform their sighted peers in digital tasks.
Kane shares a powerful success story from Senegal, where a trainee who lost his sight later in life used newly acquired Excel skills to secure a job at a hospital. He also cites an example from India where visually impaired girls, aged 14 and 15, learned coding and created sensor-based alarm systems.
“The eyes become an obstacle,” Kane notes, explaining that with four dominant senses, the visually impaired often possess enhanced hearing and focus, leading to faster digital learning. This shift in perspective highlights the central takeaway: the training empowers individuals to achieve financial independence and make meaningful contributions to society, rather than resorting to begging.
The success of the ICBVI program depends on global and local cooperation. Key partners include the ICT Ministry, UICT, ITU, and the SD Foundation. Both experts issue a call to action for policymakers and the public. For policymakers, Professor Bernareggi urges adoption of accessibility policies like the European Accessibility Act, ensuring every digital product is usable through multiple senses, not just sight.
“The Ministry of ICT’s commitment to providing tax-free status for assistive technologies is a positive step,” he notes. For the public, Kane advises the sighted community to recognize that visual impairment can happen to anyone and to change their mindset: “Do not consider the visually impaired world a separate one.”
From this episode, we learn that Uganda’s UICT lab ranks among the best globally and that with deliberate strategic investment in inclusive technology, a truly accessible digital future is possible for everyone.
