Demonstrating its commitment to inclusion and accessibility, Telecel Ghana participated in this year’s Disability Inclusive Hackathon (DI-HACKATHON), organized by the Inclusive Tech Group and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Ghana Section as part of its 10th International Conference on Adaptive Science and Technology (ICAST) celebration. Held at the Academic City University in Accra, the event ran under the theme “Engineering a Resilient Future through Convergent Technologies.”
DI-HACKATHON is the Inclusive Tech Group’s flagship annual initiative to spark rapid, collaborative innovation in assistive technology. Software developers, engineers, UI/UX designers, and disability advocates co-create practical solutions to real-world accessibility challenges. People living with disabilities are integrated into the teams to develop technologies such as sensory navigation aids and inclusive educational software built for communities they serve.
Alongside PwC and Google, Telecel Ghana was a main sponsor and contributed through employee participation in mentoring and judging. Anna Owooson, In-Market Delivery Lead, and Johnson Oteng-Dartey, Technical BI Developer from Telecel, mentored teams throughout the competition, guiding them as they refined concepts and built prototypes.
On the judging panel, Dr. Joyce Koi-Akrofi, Capital Programmes Manager, Telecel and Mr. Asiedu Ansu, Head of Data & Analytics Centre of Excellence – Telecel, joined other industry experts in evaluating the solutions, underscoring Telecel’s commitment to innovation that advances accessibility and inclusion.
Projects mentored by the Telecel included software to help people with dexterity impairments navigate online platforms; an image-based communication tool for people with speech or hearing impairments during medical consultations; and a wearable device that alerts deaf individuals to sounds such as a doorbell or a crying child.
Anna Owooson, speaking on her experience as a mentor, said, “Mentoring these young innovators was rewarding, and every idea was impressive. The highlight was when one of my projects was named a winner. I also drew on the expertise of Telecel’s digital specialists for guidance on certain challenges. The hackathon gave these young engineers the chance to build solutions for the disability community while working alongside people with specific impairments. It was a truly remarkable opportunity.”
This initiative is part of Telecel’s disability-focused programmes for October, observed internally as Care and Wellbeing Month. Telecel also partnered with the Ghana National Association for the Deaf to commemorate the International Week of the Deaf and hosted STEM training for 100 persons with disabilities in Hohoe, Volta Region.
Telecel Ghana consistently champions disability inclusion through mobile technology, specialized customer service, and technical education for the deaf, blind, and speech-impaired communities. It employs 10 deaf professionals and serves over 3,500 members of the Deaf community through heavily discounted voice and data offerings, dedicated support channels, and accessible platforms, including the Telecel Play App and *494#.
