Vienna/Nairobi – February 18, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
inABLE, Africa’s leading accessibility innovation organization, and the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) announced today a groundbreaking partnership to develop and adopt the first harmonized Africa’s Standard for Accessibility – ICT Products and Services. The announcement was made at the Zero Project Conference 2026 at the United Nations Office in Vienna.
The 24 -month project, will develop an African Standard for Accessible ICT Products and Services through an inclusive, participatory process that actively engages youth, women, and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs). The standard will be developed by assessing and adapting global accessibility standards to the African context.
Advancing Continental Leadership
The development process will build on international best practices and existing frameworks, including global ICT accessibility standards, to create a unified continental approach. ARSO’s technical committee will conduct a comprehensive assessment of global standards to ensure the Harmonized African Standard reflects both international benchmarks and Africa’s unique context.
“This partnership represents Africa taking ownership of digital accessibility at the continental level,” said Irene Mbari-Kirika, Founder and Executive Director of inABLE. “A harmonized African standard means 80 million people with disabilities across our continent can finally access digital products and services designed with them, not just for them.”
Continental Impact Through Standards Harmonization
ARSO, the Continental inter-governmental Organisation, founded by the African Union (formerly OAU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in 1977 and currently with forty-five (45) member countries, will lead the technical process of adapting KS 2952 into an African Standard under its ARSO Project Committee 04 (ARSP PC 04) on ICT Disability Access. Once adopted, the standard will be available for implementation across all ARSO member states, creating a unified framework for accessible ICT across the continent.
The project emphasizes inclusive development, ensuring that the voices of persons with disabilities shape the standard from inception through adoption.
Zero Project Conference Context
The announcement aligns with the Zero Project Conference 2026’s focus on Accessibility, ICT, and Innovation. Africa’s move toward harmonized accessibility standards represents the kind of scalable innovation the Zero Project champions, demonstrating how regional collaboration can drive systemic change and create lasting impact for millions.
“Standards are the invisible infrastructure of inclusion,” Irene Mbari-Kirika noted. “When we embed accessibility into technical standards, we make it easier and more cost-effective for businesses, governments, and innovators to build inclusive products and services from the start.“
Project Scope and Timeline
The project, funded through inABLE with project oversight and coordination support, includes:
- Adaptation of KS 2952 to continental context
- Multi-stakeholder engagement across ARSO member states and the international community
- Capacity building for national standards bodies
- Consultation with disability organizations across Africa
- Development and adoption of the Harmonized African Standard (HAS)
The project aims to deliver an African Standard ready for adoption by ARSO’s 45 members.
Advancing Africa’s Digital Accessibility Agenda
This partnership builds on inABLE’s continental leadership in accessibility policy and advocacy. The organization’s annual Inclusive Africa Conference has become a catalyst for policy dialogue, bringing together governments, multilateral institutions, and disability organizations to advance accessibility frameworks across Africa.
With 80 million people with disabilities living across Africa and the continent’s rapid digital transformation underway, accessible ICT standards are essential for ensuring no one is left behind.
About inABLE
Founded in 2009, inABLE is a Kenyan and US-based non-profit transforming the lives of African youth with disabilities through technology and innovation. What began as a grassroots initiative has evolved into a continental movement for digital inclusion, reaching thousands across Africa.
inABLE has established assistive technology labs in schools for the blind, accessible and inclusive digital hubs in rural villages across Kenya and led the development of Kenya’s first ICT accessibility standard (KS 2952). The organization hosts the annual Inclusive Africa Conference, the continent’s largest gathering of accessibility innovators. In 2025, inABLE was named to the inaugural Forbes Accessibility 100 list. Learn more at www.inable.org
About ARSO
The African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) was established in 1977 as the Continental Inter-Governmental Organisation for Africa by the African Union (formerly the OAU) and the United Nationals Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). With 45 member countries and in line with the AfCFTA Agreement, TBT Annex 6 and SPS Annex 7, ARSO harmonises standards and conformity Assessment Procedures across the continent to ensure quality and safety of products and services and to facilitate intra-African and Global trade. The harmonisation is carried across various Sectors, currently under 15 Sectors (with 100 Technical Committees) including ICT, Healthcare (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices), Agriculture and food products, Automative, Textile and Leather, Finance and Good Research Management; and infrastructure. This is also in addition to the Certification programmes under the ECO Mark Africa certification Scheme for Sustainability Standards, and the ARSO Dual Marking Certification Scheme (the ARSO Quality Mark) for products that conform to the ARSO harmonised standards.
Learn more at www.arso-oran.org
Media Contacts:
inABLE
Grace Mbugua, Communications Manager
ARSO
Mr. Dan Kithome, ICT Officer and DISNET Coordinator
dan@arso-oran.org