BLOEMFONTEIN: The Disability Technology and Innovation Programme (DTIP) at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, in Bloemfontein is envisaged to fast-track its campaign bolstering inclusivity in South Africa. The programme is a pioneering initiative of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), an entity of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI).
Dr Nomalungelo Gina, deputy minister of science, technology and innovation, on 4 August launched this programme that can be used as a tool to promote disability-inclusive technologies and empower persons with disabilities as leaders and innovators.
“This programme reflects the TIA’s strategic commitment to embedding inclusivity across the National System of Innovation (NSI). Persons with disabilities have been systemically excluded from participating meaningfully in South Africa’s innovation space.
“With the DTIP, we are creating access and enabling leadership, ownership, and equity for innovators with disabilities and users alike,” said Dr Anitha Ramsuran, manager of the Transformation and Innovation for Inclusive Development.
Sebenzile Matsebula, TIA board member and disability rights advocate, pointed out that the programme’s launch marked a pivotal moment in the country’s commitment to inclusive innovation.
“For too long, innovation has not spoken to the realities of people with disabilities. With the DTIP, we are not just opening doors, we are redesigning the entire space to make sure those doors exist in the first place,” she said.
“This programme ensures that innovation is not only accessible but led by those it seeks to serve.
“As a woman with a lived experience of disability, I understand the power of inclusive technologies to transform lives and unlock opportunities.”
The DTIP has added to the four locally developed and designed programmes Gina launched to enhance the lives of persons with disabilities in the country. These are:
■ Ka-Dah Device – a wearable system allowing visually impaired users to operate smartphones through audio commands.
■ Virecom – a video remote interpreting service that provides real-time access to South African Sign Language (SASL) at public service points.
■ WeSignIt – a QR-code powered app that translates written content into SASL.
■ ShazaCin – an audio-described storytelling app that enables blind users to engage with films and tourist experiences.
These innovations, previously supported by the TIA through the Grassroots Innovation Programme (GIP) and the Technology Development Assistance Fund (TADF), include solutions created by innovators with disabilities.
Capping these inclusive innovation programmes, the TIA also announced that a national database of disability technologies has been developed for use to upscale these technologies through support for further technology development and commercialisation.
In addition, a dedicated Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Rural Assisted Devices will serve as a national testing site for inclusive products for persons with disabilities. They are funded by the TIA and operated by Shonaquip.
