SAFOD is Southern Africa's leading disability network — championing the rights of persons with disabilities across 16 SADC member states since 1986. From regional policy to community action, we work to unlock a truly inclusive society for all.
World Assistive Technology Day · 14 June 2026
One billion people worldwide live with a disability. Millions need assistive technology (AT) — wheelchairs, hearing aids, screen readers, communication devices — yet up to 95% in Southern Africa alone cannot access it. World AT Day is a global call to action. SAFOD and ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, unite governments, civil society, businesses, and individuals every June to change this reality — one voice, one commitment, one community at a time.
Who should join? Click any card below to find out.
How to participate
Register and pledge your support at unlocktheeveryday.org — individuals, groups, and institutions are all welcome.
Spread the word on social media using #WorldATDay and #UnlockTheEveryday.
Host or join an event — a seminar, pop-up demo, panel, or community gathering in your country or organisation.
Make a commitment — whether policy, funding, or practice — and report your progress to ATscale.
A joint campaign by SAFOD and ATscale — the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, in partnership with OPDs across 8 countries in Southern Africa.
SA-CIBIS: Capacity and Institutional Building Many organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) in Southern Africa struggle to sustain themselves. Donor funding has been shrinking for years. Staff capacity is thin. Governance structures are often weak. Without a strong foundation, OPDs cannot advocate, deliver programmes, or hold governments to account. SA-CIBIS was designed to address this.…
SA-IPLJ: Inclusive Policies, Legislation and Justice Across Southern Africa, disability rights are often written into law — but rarely enforced. Most SADC member states have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Many have national disability policies. Yet in practice, persons with disabilities remain excluded from the systems and services…
SA-DRDLC: Disability Research, Documentation and Learning SA-DRDLC: Disability Research, Documentation and Learning Good advocacy needs good evidence. Without data, it is hard to make the case for change. Without documented lessons, the same mistakes get repeated. SA-DRDLC exists to fill that gap — building the knowledge base that SAFOD and its affiliates need to push…
SA-PIAH: Inclusive Access to Health Care For most people, going to a clinic or hospital is straightforward. For many persons with disabilities across Southern Africa, it is not. Health facilities are often physically out of reach. Buildings lack ramps or accessible toilets. Staff are not trained to communicate with deaf patients or those with cognitive…
SA-DEEP: Disability Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Persons with disabilities face some of the highest rates of poverty in Southern Africa. Discrimination shuts them out of formal employment. Inaccessible workplaces, limited skills training, and no access to credit or markets make self-employment just as hard. For women and youth with disabilities, those barriers are even sharper.…
SA-DGMP: Disability and Gender Mainstreaming Women and girls with disabilities face a double burden. They are excluded because of their disability. They are also excluded because of their gender. Together, those two layers of discrimination shut them out of decisions that affect their lives — in their homes, their communities, and the policy spaces where…
SA-IEP: Inclusive Education Education is the foundation for everything else. Without it, children with disabilities grow up with fewer options, less voice, and less power to shape their own lives. Yet across Southern Africa, millions of learners with disabilities are still being failed by education systems that were not built with them in mind. Schools…
SA-CYD: Children and Youth with Disabilities Children and young people with disabilities are among the most excluded in Southern Africa. They are kept out of schools, left out of health services, and rarely consulted on decisions that directly affect their lives. In policy spaces — where those decisions get made — their voices are almost…
SAFOD · Christian Blind Mission (CBM) · German Cooperation · 7 local partners
Persons with disabilities face a higher risk of death and injury in climate-related disasters. Yet they are routinely left out of disaster planning, early warning systems, and emergency response. This project addresses that gap directly.
SAFOD leads the project in partnership with CBM and seven national organisations across Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Together, they are building the capacity of organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) to engage in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation at national and regional level.
The project operates within four international frameworks:
Regional lead. Coordinates all activities and manages partner relations across the three countries.
Primary funder and technical partner. CBM brings expertise in disability-inclusive humanitarian response.
A regional synthesis of evidence on disability, social protection, and DRR across Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Published in 2025.
SAFOD Regional Guidelines on Inclusive Social Protection Mechanisms for Persons with Disabilities in Southern Africa, developed with CBM and German Cooperation.
OPDs in all three countries developed tailored action plans for monitoring inclusive early warning systems and advancing disability-inclusive DRR at national level.
A cohort of trained OPD representatives across three countries now has the skills to engage in DRR policy processes and monitor inclusive early warning systems.
Annual Report 2017
An overview of our funding sources, geographic origins, and how resources were allocated across programmes in 2017.
Total donations received
USD 329,056
Fiscal year 2017
Total project expenditure
USD 178,318
Across all programmes
Surplus retained
USD 150,738
54.2% of total donations
Active donor organisations
5
Across 5 countries
Donations vs expenditure
2017 fiscal year comparison
Funding breakdown
Donors
By organisation
Origin of donations
By country
Programme expenditure
By programme allocation
Data sourced from SAFOD Annual Report 2017. Figures in USD.
Publications & Resources
SAFOD produces research, policy documents, and practical guides to advance the rights of persons with disabilities in Southern Africa. These resources support OPDs, governments, and partners across the region.
Annual Reports
Documents covering programme activities, results, and financial performance each year.
Regional Guidelines on Inclusive Social Protection
A policy framework for persons with disabilities in Southern Africa. Developed with CBM and German Cooperation.
Meta-Analysis Report
Research on disability and social protection across Southern Africa.
AT Catalogue & AT Guide
Directories of assistive technology suppliers and guidance for users across Southern Africa.
Advocacy Manual for OPDs
A practical guide for organisations of persons with disabilities in Southern Africa.
Living Conditions Report
Research on the daily lives of persons with disabilities across the region.
COVID-19 Research Report
Analysis of how the pandemic affected persons with disabilities in Southern Africa.
Policy and Stakeholder Influence Strategy
Strategic framework covering 2021–2025.
Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
SAFOD's M&E framework for the 2021–2025 strategy period.
