Disability News & Opportunities Across Africa. Covering jobs, grants, advocacy, inclusion, health, education, and programs for persons with disabilities across all 54 African nations.
Of all the groups within the disability community, children with disabilities face perhaps the most compounded barriers. They are excluded from schools, denied healthcare, subject to harmful cultural beliefs, and frequently invisible in both official statistics and national policy. In Africa, where fewer than ten percent of children with disabilities attend school and where disability…
Most disability funding in Africa targets established OPDs with existing governance structures and track records. But what about the growing number of disability-focused social enterprises, hybrid organisations, and innovative impact-first ventures that are building new solutions to disability inclusion challenges across the continent? What about the organisation that has run a successful pilot programme, demonstrated…
Most international grant programmes operate on fixed annual cycles applications open in one month, close in another, and organizations that miss the window must wait another twelve months before they can try again. For small, under-resourced OPDs operating in complex environments, this rigidity is a structural barrier. Opportunities are missed not because of a weak…
Across Africa, disability advocacy is not primarily driven by international organisations or government agencies. It is driven by communities by organisations of persons with disabilities that operate with limited resources, enormous determination, and an intimate understanding of the daily realities their members face. The challenge, always, is how to strengthen these organisations so that their…
Globally, an estimated 2.5 billion people need at least one assistive product; from hearing aids and wheelchairs to screen readers and prosthetics. That figure is projected to rise to 3.5 billion by 2050 as populations age and the prevalence of chronic conditions grows. And yet, in the WHO African Region, only about 15 to 25…
In July 2025, African health ministers gathered at the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, and made a decision that could reshape healthcare for hundreds of millions of people across the continent. They unanimously endorsed the Regional Rehabilitation Strategy 2025–2035 a comprehensive ten-year framework that, for the first time,…
Imagine a child who wants to learn. They live within walking distance of a school. Their family values education. But when they arrive at the gate, the school has no ramp for their wheelchair. The teacher has never been trained in inclusive instruction. There are no learning materials in Braille. The other children stare. The…
On 3 May 2024, a landmark moment occurred for disability rights across Africa. The African Disability Protocol formally titled the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa – officially entered into force. This happened when the Republic of Congo deposited the 15th instrument…
Deadline: 16 March 2026 For professionals working at the intersection of disability rights, global advocacy, and international development, there are few organisations with the reach and influence of the International Disability Alliance (IDA). Founded in 1999 and legally incorporated in 2013, IDA is an umbrella body of 14 global and regional organisations of persons with…
For organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) across Sub-Saharan Africa, access to dedicated funding is one of the most persistent challenges in advancing disability rights. Many OPDs operate on shoestring budgets, relying on volunteer energy and community goodwill to sustain campaigns that protect the rights of millions. That is why the upcoming 2026 grant round…
