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This article introduces the African Journal of Disability (AJOD)’s special issue on Disability and Inclusion in Africa: The Role of Assistive Technology. The special issue comprises papers presented at the fifth African Network for Evidence-to-Action in Disability (AfriNEAD) conference which focused on the role of Assistive Technology (AT) in social inclusion of persons with disabilities in Africa. The conference was held at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana, in August 2017. The conference was a collaboration between AfriNEAD, based at the Centre for Rehabilitation Studies (CRS) at Stellenbosch University, as well as the Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies (CEDRES) and the College of Health Sciences at KNUST. The KNUST College of Health Sciences, which holds a biannual conference, decided in 2017 to combine their efforts with those of AfriNEAD and CEDRES to table one unified conference. This joint venture gave an opportunity to raise awareness about disability-related issues to the College of Health Sciences. The intention was to facilitate and influence a response regarding disability issues at KNUST, at a national level in Ghana and beyond.  The theme for this combined conference was influenced by the fact that AT is being prioritised by the World Health Organization (WHO) through the Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) project. Also, AfriNEAD is working on promoting contextually relevant research to inform policy and practice in this area. At the time of the conference, the Ghanaian government was focusing on the development of inclusive education policies to address the needs of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the conference took place in Ghana when the country had demonstrated serious commitment regarding the domestication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) (UN 2006).  A conference focusing on AT was particularly relevant for the African continent as there is a general lack of research evidence regarding affordable, accessible, contextual and relevant AT, although AT is central to the well-being and livelihoods of people with disabilities. This lack of evidence undermines possible efforts that could assist the inclusion of many people with disabilities from participating fully in society, especially in Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs). Although many African countries have ratified the UNCRPD, it is not clear how governments of these countries plan to include the intention of the UNCRPD articles into policy and practice. The theme of this special issue of AJOD is appropriate for the advancement of knowledge of AT. The issue of AT is seen as a fundamental need for persons with disabilities in order to access other rights and needs, like health, education, employment, independent living and social participation. The special issue on AT, which is the first of its kind on the African continent, addresses the knowledge gap and will also stimulate further research and dialogue. It will also serve to publicise the important work conducted by AfriNEAD researchers and provide readers with more literature from an African context, as the papers are based on primary research conducted in different African countries.

african journal of disability

An introduction to a special issue on the role of assistive technology in social inclusion of persons with disabilities in Africa: Outcome of the fifth African Network for Evidence-to-Action in Disability conference