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Cape Town – Google has awarded millions to the Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (Safod) to increase technology access for people with disabilities.
The search giant donated $$717 728 (about R10m) to the organisation as part of its Google Impact Challenge: Disabilities programme launched in 2015 to boost the access to technologies for people with disabilities.
Safod is collaborating with University of Washington and The African Network for Evidence-to-Action on Disability to build a system to map the availability of assistive technology.
Vodacom in 2012 launched the Vodafone 155 for the elderly, people with limited sight and hearing. In 2015, the operators launched a smartphone aimed at the visually disabled with a Cape Town Society for the Blind partnership.
OwnFone in the UK released a device that enables simple calling for people with visual and hearing challenges. It can be ordered with Braille buttons for £60 (about R1 237.21).
“In awarding these grants Google looked for big ideas, with technology at the core and the potential to scale supported by nimble and flexible teams that are strong enough to implement the work proposed,” Google SA said in a statement.
As part of its programme, Google is investing in 30 organisations from 1 000 entries of non-profits who submitted proposals to build technologies to assist people with disabilities.
The deputy minister of higher education and training, Mduduzi Manana will on April 25 visit Thiboloha School for the Blind and Deaf in Phuthaditjhaba, QwaQwa, Free State to advance the government’s Opportunities for People with Disabilities campaign to mainstream issues for people with disabilities in the post school education sector.
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