246 Braille tablets costing FCFA 12.5 million for visually impaired students October 16, 2026

International White Cane Day was celebrated on October 15 at the National Arena with the theme: “White cane, stop”. On the occasion, the State announced the provision of 246 new Braille tablets to blind and visually impaired students.

The State has done a lot and will provide better assistance to people with visual impairments and pathologies. The assertion was made yesterday during the official ceremony of the celebration of International White Cane Day. Technical advisor to the Minister of Family, Social Action and Solidarity, Adama Diouf announced good news to people suffering from visual difficulties: 246 Braille tablets at a cost of 12.5 million FCfa will soon be distributed to blind and visually impaired students. He then assessed the prevalence of visual deficiencies and pathologies, in particular by using data from the 2023 General Population and Housing Census (Rgph-5), from the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (Ansd). “The national prevalence of disability is estimated at 7.3% among people aged one year and over. “Seeing” difficulties are the most common (3.9%), followed by walking difficulties (3.7%). Among people aged 65 and over, “seeing” difficulties reach 24.3%,” he recalled. He specified that disability affects more women (7.8%) than men (6.8%), with an almost identical prevalence in urban and rural areas. In his opinion, these data illustrate the extent of the phenomenon and underpin the need to develop preventive and curative strategies, and to promote the human rights of the blind and visually impaired. “The former coordinator of the National Program to Combat Blindness estimated the prevalence of blindness between 1 and 1.7%, or even 2%, in Senegal. These data place visual impairment at the forefront of disabilities in Senegal,” he said. However, Adama Diouf is delighted with the fact that in Senegal, the inclusion of people with disabilities and the promotion of their fundamental rights find a favorable echo in the national transformation agenda, particularly in Axis 2 of the National Development Strategy relating to “Quality human capital and social equity”. “Today, the results of certain directives given by the Head of State concern the finalization of all the implementing texts of the social orientation law relating to disability, the organization of national consultations on disability, the development of the national strategy for the promotion and protection of disabled people whose institutional validation will soon be effective, etc. » affirmed the Technical Advisor to the Minister of Family, Social Action and Solidarity. President of the Convergence of the Blind for Unity, Solidarity and Mutual Aid, Abdou Kogna Diop praised the efforts that the State is making for people with disabilities. However, he called on those in power to do more.

Abdou DIOP