The Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) has commenced a one-month digital skills development training for persons with disabilities under its I-BPO Project, “Upskilling and Employing Persons with Disabilities through an Inclusive Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Ecosystem.”
Supported by GIZ, the initiative aims to strengthen the employability of persons with disabilities and prepare them for emerging opportunities in Ethiopia’s digital economy. The training is being delivered in Addis Ababa, Adama, Bahir Dar, Hawassa, and Arba Minch.
A total of 312 persons with disabilities—157 women and 155 men— are participating in the training, exceeding the project’s initial target of 300 participants.
Implemented by ECDD in collaboration with partner universities, the training combines foundational employability skills with introductory technical competencies in customer experience, IT support, content moderation, data annotation, website development, finance and accounting, and MIS/reporting.
“At ECDD, we believe that inclusive employment begins with equitable access to relevant skills and accessible learning environments. Through the I-BPO Project, we are working to strengthen the employability of persons with disabilities and connect them with emerging opportunities in the digital economy,” said Legassu Leulseged, Program Director at ECDD.
The gender-disaggregated participation data shows 157 women and 155 men enrolled across the five cities. Participants include persons with physical, visual, hearing, and intellectual impairments, as well as persons with short stature.
To promote inclusive participation, the project has provided assistive technology materials to six universities, assistive devices to trainees, and physical accessibility modifications to university training and resource centers. ECDD and GIZ have also jointly developed the training curriculum and materials.
Through this initiative, ECDD is advancing practical pathways toward disability-inclusive digital employment and contributing to a more accessible and inclusive digital economy in Ethiopia.
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