Assistive Technology Awareness Campaign

The Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD) is an organisation that advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities as well as nurturing and strengthening its affiliates and other stakeholders in Southern Africa to ensure promotion of inclusive development and human rights for persons with disabilities. It is a leading Southern African disability-focused network engaged in coordination of activities of organisations of disabled persons in the region. The organisation was formed in 1986 by disabled people for disabled people as a federation of non-governmental disability organisations. To date, 10 countries are affiliated to SAFOD through National Federations of Disabled People Organisations (NFDPOs). The organisations pursues the following vision: "A new society where all people, including disabled people, women and workers, men and children, are treated with dignity, respect and on the basis of equality" Some of its values includes 1. Participatory 2. Transparency 3. Accountability 4. Commitment 5. Gender Sensitivity 6. Empowerment Some of the aims and objectives of SAFOD include: (i) Encouragement of the formation of organisations of disabled people in Southern Africa; (ii) Provision of support and strengthening of existing affiliates; (iii) Training of personnel and leaders of organisations of disabled people; (iv) Promotion, support and complementing of government policies and programmes in favour of disabled people in the SADC region; (v) Facilitation of information exchange as well as affiliation and cooperation with other regional, continental and international organisations.

Under the overall coordination of SAFOD, the selected United Nations Online Volunteers will support the planning, development, and implementation of the 2026 regional #UnlockTheEveryday Campaign in commemoration of the World Day for Assistive Technology. The volunteers will play a strategic role in strengthening digital advocacy and enhancing the visibility of assistive technology (AT) as a human rights and development priority in Southern Africa. Working closely with SAFOD’s regional secretariat and national OPD partners in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, and Zambia, the volunteers will contribute to the design and dissemination of impactful, rights-based digital content that amplifies the lived experiences of assistive technology users and promotes policy dialogue.

Specifically, the volunteers will: -Support the development of a coordinated digital content calendar aligned with key campaign milestones and World AT Day messaging. -Create compelling, accessible, and inclusive digital content (social media posts, infographics, short videos, reels, visual storytelling materials, blogs, and short advocacy briefs). -Ensure that campaign messaging reflects a human rights–based approach grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). -Collaborate with OPDs to document lived experiences and success stories that demonstrate the transformative impact of assistive technology. -Assist in strengthening online engagement strategies, including audience targeting, hashtag coordination, and cross-country amplification. -Contribute to monitoring online engagement metrics (reach, impressions, interactions) to inform adaptive campaign strategies. -Participate in periodic virtual coordination meetings with SAFOD and provide brief summaries of outputs and progress. The assignment is fully remote and requires close collaboration within a multicultural, virtual team environment. Volunteers are expected to work independently while maintaining regular communication with the SAFOD coordination team to ensure alignment with campaign goals and branding guidelines. Through this engagement, volunteers will contribute to advancing assistive technology as an essential component of inclusive health systems, education, employment, and social protection frameworks across Southern Africa. Their contributions will directly support the amplification of OPD leadership and strengthen collective advocacy for equitable access to assistive technology in low- and middle-income contexts.