The Internet Society Ghana Chapter (ISOC Ghana), in collaboration with the Inclusive Tech Group, has trained learners in special schools on online safety and cybersecurity.
The outreach was held at the Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf at Adjei Kojo, Tema, and at the Akropong School for the Blind, Akuapem North.
Supported through foundation funding under ISOC Ghana’s annual strategic plan, the training equipped deaf and visually impaired learners with skills to protect themselves against cyberbullying, online scams, digital addiction and predatory contacts.
In total, 80 learners were trained — 40 in each school, bringing the total number of persons with disabilities trained under the project to 100.
Earlier in August, 20 young people in Tarkwa were given similar training at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT).
The project was held under the theme “Building Digital Trust, Safety and Resilience for Everyone.”
Speaking in an interview at the Akropong School for the Blind, ISOC Ghana President Dr. Maud Adjeley Ashong Elliot said online trust and safety have become central to the chapter’s mission.
She noted that while young people are increasingly active online, learners with disabilities are often excluded from mainstream safety campaigns despite facing heightened risks.
“The youth are heavily engaging with the internet, but it is also affecting them. It is becoming an addiction, and many are being cyberbullied or exposed to dangers they know very little about. The idea is to create awareness so they stay safe, so they do not click unknown links, accept dangerous invitations, or get into trouble,” she said.
She said learners with disabilities demonstrated sharp analytical skills, often taking time to carefully study how a technology works before using it.
She therefore called on technology developers and innovators to prioritise universal design and accessibility from inception, rather than as an afterthought, with exceptionally clear voice and audio for visually impaired users and precise transcripts and captions for deaf users.
She also announced plans to extend the campaign to parents, guardians and educators, noting the generational gap in social media use that makes it essential to equip parents to guide their children online.
Mr. Prince Somuah, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at Inclusive Tech Group, emphasised the importance of extending online safety education to persons with disabilities, stressing that digital inclusion must go beyond access to devices and the internet.
According to Mr. Somuah, the collaboration provides an opportunity to equip learners with practical skills to identify online risks, protect their personal information and make informed decisions.
Ensuring meaningful inclusion, he said, requires not only connecting people to technology but also giving them the tools to participate safely and confidently.
Henrietta Ampofo, a member of ISOC Ghana, said technology is a vital assistive tool for persons with disabilities and bridging the digital divide requires ensuring safe and correct internet use.
“The success of this project lies in the fact that we have been able to train persons with visual and hearing impairments. We want to encourage them to be on the internet, but we must ensure they are using it correctly and safely,” she said.
She said the training is designed to foster peer-to-peer learning, where trained students share cyber safety tips with classmates, and added that with support from ISOC Ghana leadership and partners, the initiative will be expanded into a long-term campaign.
Students at both schools expressed gratitude to ISOC Ghana and the Inclusive Tech Group, saying the practical sessions demystified online risks and better positioned them to make safe choices for their studies and personal development.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
