Mohamed Kimbugwe is an International Development Practitioner with over one and a half decades of experience and expertise in human-centred Digital Transformation and Innovation. As a disability, digital rights, and inclusion expert and advocate, Mohamed believes in a world that works for all, including in the digital realm. He believes that digital technologies have the power to surpass traditional barriers and open a world of opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Abdul Busuulwa has over 25 years of working experience in social development, training NGOs, conducting research, engaging in human rights advocacy, and promoting accessible ICTs for persons with disabilities. He is a lecturer at Kyambogo University in the Department of Community and Disability Studies, where I teach several courses, supervise and coordinate research, and train future professionals in Community Development and Social Justice, Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR), disability studies, and inclusive development. He served as the Executive Director of CBR Africa Network (CAN), a regional organisation dedicated to networking and sharing information on community-based rehabilitation, disability inclusion, and advocacy across the African continent, from 2017 to 2020.
Berhanu Belay Wondimagegne is a teacher, a disability rights advocate, and a community servant with over five decades of experience. He is the Executive Director at TOGETHER, an Ethiopian civil society organisation that works to empower persons with disabilities through access to information, technology, education, and integrated community development measures.
Ahouty Kouakou is an Ivorian living in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He is a wheelchair user who contracted this mobility impairment due to poliomyelitis when I was 4 years old. Ahouty is a founder of the Action et Humanisme, a disability rights organisation that seeks to give persons with disabilities an opportunity to reach their full potential and thrive. Ahouty holds two bachelor’s degrees in Communication and Anthropology from the University Felix Houphouet Boigny of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Sarah Kekeli Akunor is a young woman with visual impairment. She recently graduated from the University of Ghana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Philosophy. Sarah is a member of the Mastercard Foundation’s Alumni Network Committee, serving as the lead for Inclusion, Gender, and Safeguard. She also oversees a Disability Inclusion Facilitator under the Mastercard Foundation’s ‘We Can Work’ programme. She serves as an interim executive for the newly inaugurated Ghana Youth Federation, and she also holds the position of Secretary for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion. Sarah holds a certificate in Disability Leadership in Internet Governance and Digital Rights from the Internet Society (ISOC).