By: Kanto
Kai Okanta
Safaricom Ethiopia has
outlined its efforts to advance accessibility and disability inclusion,
highlighting partnerships, employee training and initiatives aimed at improving
access to its services for persons with disabilities.
The company shared its
experience at the Customer Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Conference
hosted by Vodafone Egypt, which also marked the launch of the Vodacom Group
Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Guide.
Representing Safaricom
Ethiopia, Bethlehem Tameru, Executive Head of the Safaricom Ethiopia
Foundation, presented the company's progress and lessons learned in advancing
accessibility and meaningful inclusion.
Among the initiatives
highlighted was Safaricom Ethiopia's first Accessibility and Disability
Inclusion Conference, alongside the signing of a three-year memorandum of
understanding with the Federation of Ethiopian Associations of Persons with
Disabilities.
The company has also engaged
with the Ethiopian National Association of the Deaf and begun employee training
on disability inclusion and accessible customer service.
Safaricom Ethiopia
acknowledged that its efforts remain at an early stage, stressing that
meaningful inclusion requires persons with disabilities to participate not
simply as beneficiaries, but as customers, employees, entrepreneurs, partners
and leaders.
The company said its
ambition is to help remove barriers and create greater access, independence,
opportunity and dignity for persons with disabilities.
“Because inclusion is
measured not by the commitments we make, but by the experiences we help make
possible,” Safaricom Ethiopia stated.
