Page 27 - Annual Report 2023
P. 27
5.16 National Disability Rights Awareness Month
The LIS and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Regional Office for Africa held a webinar on assistive devices for individuals with disabilities in honour of National Disability Rights Awareness Month. The National Disability Rights Awareness Month was observed from 3 November to 3 December to ensure inclusion for all, with the resonating theme of “Let no one be left behind”. The strategic alliance, announced by Unisa on 23 August 2023, will be in place from 2024 to 2026, and caters specifically for sub-Saharan Africa. The webinar focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the importance of understanding national and international laws protecting patrons with disabilities. Panellists from Edit Microsystems showcased various assistive devices and technologies, including wheelchairs, walkers, hearing aids, screen readers, braille displays, magnifiers, speech therapy tools, language learning apps and innovative ICT. The event attracted a large international audience from countries like Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Dubai, Uganda, Lesotho, Tunisia, Kenya, Senegal and Botswana, and served as a benchmarking platform for librarians, knowledge specialists and managers to share their practices and policies.
Figure 25: Library technology event invitation
27