Oluwatoyin Abdul-Rahman

Nigerian disability rights activist transforming accessibility in West Africa through tech innovation

Oluwatoyin Abdul-Rahman (b. 1989) is a Nigerian tech innovator and disability advocate who created Africa's first Braille smartphone app. Losing her sight at age 12, she developed the BrailleConnect app that converts text messages into Braille patterns on smartphone screens. This invention, used by 200,000+ visually impaired users, earned her the 2018 Google Impact Challenge Award.

As founder of Access Africa Initiative, she designed tactile maps for public transport systems in Lagos and Accra, reducing travel barriers for 50,000+ disabled commuters. Her 2020 TEDx Talk "Innovating for Inclusion" propelled her to collaborate with UNESCO on accessibility standards for African schools.

Abdul-Rahman's outlines her smart wheelchair design that navigates unpaved terrain - now used in 14 African countries. Her "Tech for Inclusion" workshops trained 2,500+ developers in accessibility best practices. The African Union's 2022 Disability Rights Award recognized her work that increased employment rates among disabled Nigerians by 40%.

Her recent project with Kenya's government deployed 500 smart traffic lights with audio signals, reducing pedestrian accidents by 65%. Through her YouTube channel, she shares adaptive tech tutorials viewed by 1.8 million people. The World Health Organization cited her work as a model for UN SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) implementation. With 12 patented inventions, she continues to bridge the digital divide for Africa's 30 million disabled citizens.