TheCable Unveils Nigeria's First Disability-Inclusive News App
In a groundbreaking move, TheCable, one of Nigeria's leading online newspapers, has unveiled the Disability Inclusive News App (DINA) to provide accessible news to individuals with disabilities. DINA represents a significant step towards promoting disability inclusion within Nigeria's news community and protecting people with disabilities from misinformation and disinformation. It stands as Nigeria's first news app tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals with disabilities.
Mayowa Tijani, who spearheaded the development of DINA, emphasized the critical role of access as a pillar of inclusion. In comments to the International Journalists’ Network (IJNET) He elaborated on how the app caters to persons with disabilities, offering them the ability to not only consume news but also access high-level analysis and fact-checking features.
One of the standout features of DINA is its user-friendly text-to-speech function, designed for individuals with visual impairments who may encounter challenges with reading text. Tijani noted that the app also incorporates a speech-to-text feature, enabling individuals with mobility difficulties to interact with their devices through voice commands, reducing the need for manual phone handling. Moreover, DINA is seamlessly integrated with Android's TalkBack and iOS VoiceOver, two screen-reading features, enhancing its accessibility.
“It also has a speech-to-text element that allows people with limb challenges, who would rather not hold their phones most times, to speak to their devices to take certain actions,” he said. “It is natively compatible with Android’s TalkBack and iOS VoiceOver, which are helpful screen-reading features.”
The development of DINA received support from the Google News Initiative, which selected TheCable as one of its 2022 Innovation Challenge winners. The Innovation Challenge aims to empower news organizations worldwide with a focus on pioneering ideas within the realm of online journalism. This initiative seeks to help these organizations discover new paths to sustainability while fostering a deeper understanding of their communities.
To ensure the app's effectiveness, TheCable collaborated with Project Enable Africa and Stanforte Edge, leading inclusion hubs in Nigeria, as project consultants. Simon Kolawole, the founder and CEO of TheCable, expressed gratitude for the valuable contributions of these partners, who reviewed the concept, tested the app, and provided essential feedback, which significantly improved the platform.
“At some point, we found that the solution we were offering was creating another bottleneck for [persons with disabilities] and we would not have figured this out without having them rigorously use the app,” he said. “Project Enable was our window into that level of insight.”
The core objective of the DINA app is to offer knowledge-driven journalism to everyone, including persons with disabilities. As Kolawole explained, TheCable aimed to eliminate as many barriers as possible, reflecting the organization's core value of diversity. In Nigeria, people with disabilities have historically received insufficient media coverage and representation. DINA, however, is reshaping the landscape and frequency of coverage, offering a more inclusive perspective.
The app's launch has initiated a vital conversation around inclusion, one that TheCable intends to nurture. The app also serves as a “mirror” reflecting the Nigerian media's prior reporting practices, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive consideration of persons with disabilities.
