AT Village

Across Africa, millions of persons with disabilities remain excluded from education, decent work, digital services and independent living because assistive technology (AT) is scarce, unaffordable, unavailable or poorly suited to local realities. The African continent is home to innovators, and the AT Village offers the ecosystem for AT innovations to validate and scale.

About AT Village

Launched in 2023 as part of the Inclusive Africa Conference, the Assistive Technology Village (AT Village) is an innovation platform connecting African AT innovators with users, investors, governments, the private sector, development partners and the global AT ecosystem.

The AT Village helps create the conditions for promising solutions to move from idea to validation, and strengthens collaboration, user-centred design, market access and opportunities for local production.

To date, the AT Village has showcased 84 African AT startups from across the continent, creating opportunities for visibility, partnerships and ecosystem growth. It has also supported six African AT startups to strengthen their user experience and expand their impact:

Deaf Elimu Plus, Kenya
Seizure Assist, Zambia
Kochi, Kenya
eKitabu, Kenya
Assistive Math, Kenya
Ishara AI, Kenya

Who Benefits

The AT Village supports the wider African assistive technology ecosystem, benefiting:

African assistive technology innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups
Persons with disabilities and assistive technology users
Investors, funders, and development partners
Private and public-service institutions
Policymakers, regulators, and government institutions

Program Impact

African Assistive Technology Innovations showcased: 84

African AT Startups have won the UX Research Grant: 6; Inclusive Africa AT Network
Applications: 300+
Countries represented (Showcased AT Startups): 15