AI development in Africa leaves behind 100 million people with disabilities
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Over 100 million Africans living with disabilities are excluded from the development of artificial intelligence technologies because local languages, sign languages, and environments are missing from the data used to train AI models.
Researchers and advocates launched the Hub for AI and Disability Inclusion (HAIDI) and the African Disability Data Network (ADDN) to address this gap and build a data infrastructure for inclusive AI in Africa.
These initiatives, supported by international organizations like the International Development Research Centre and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, aim to strengthen data systems, support innovation, and promote ethical AI governance. ADDN will function as a network to help researchers and developers find existing disability-related datasets, rather than creating a central data repository. Currently, researchers are working to map existing disability data across Africa, identifying gaps in areas like sign language and speech recognition for local languages.
They plan to create new datasets focusing on sign languages, mental health, and inclusive employment, while prioritizing data privacy, informed consent, and the active participation of people with disabilities in data collection and management. The consortium hopes these efforts will lead to AI applications that better serve the needs of all Africans.
