NAIROBI, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's First Lady Margaret Kenyatta on Thursday called for enhanced digital inclusion for persons with disabilities so as to eliminate technological barriers that prevent them from accessing services.

Margaret who delivered a keynote address at the opening of the inaugural virtual Inclusive Africa Conference 2020 in Nairobi said the need for digital solutions has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic which has made it necessary for people, communities and businesses to rely on access to the internet, smart technology and online services to survive.

"It is my hope that digital solutions and best practices will be adopted for easy access and affordability across Africa; and that more investment will be allocated towards education and digital training and employment of youth with disabilities," she said in a statement issued in Nairobi after the opening ceremony.

According to Margaret, most affected by the pandemic have been vulnerable, blind and visually impaired persons who, due to their circumstances, have faced multiple forms of digital exclusion such as lack of computer assistive technology, inaccessible websites or online content.

Margaret emphasized the need to scale up digital access and inclusion by adopting regional and global best practices to ensure young people with disabilities are not left behind in contributing to Kenya's development.

She expressed concern that digital services and products that fully cater to the needs of persons with disabilities including the blind and visually impaired were still lacking in many areas.

"This is a concern for many other African countries because the dialogue around digital inclusion is only just emerging," said Margaret.

The First Lady called for more investment in interventions that serve children with disabilities so as to equip them with modern technological capabilities from an early age.

She expressed hope that the conference would map out strategies that will assist in removing barriers that hinder access to technology for people living with disabilities.

Jerome Ochieng, ICT principal secretary outlined the initiatives the government is implementing to ensure digital inclusivity.

Ochieng singled out the government's installation of over 9,000 km of fiber optic cable connecting all counties and sub-county headquarters as one of the measures taken to boost digital accessibility. Enditem

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