Author: Siyabonga Makubu

By Jeffery Montapina, Chancellor Officer, SayPro

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

Today, as we gather to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025, we recognize a powerful truth that resonates through our mission and values here at SayPro: Accessibility is not a choice—it’s a cornerstone of equality, opportunity, and progress.

As Chancellor Officer, I have the privilege of overseeing our academic, leadership, and organizational strategies, and I can tell you with absolute conviction: accessibility is the foundation upon which we are building our future.

Over the past year, SayPro has worked relentlessly to ensure that accessibility is not just a program, a project, or a policy—it is part of who we are as an institution. We have strived to integrate accessibility into every facet of our work—academic, operational, and community-driven—to ensure that we remain not just compliant, but pioneers of inclusive excellence.

This year, we have:

• Strengthened our educational framework to support learners of all abilities, ensuring that our resources, tools, and curricula are universally accessible.
• Expanded our leadership development programs, ensuring that individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to rise to leadership positions and make their voices heard in every decision-making process.
• Created a culture of continuous learning about accessibility, where every member of the SayPro community is both a teacher and a student, committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

But the work we’ve done is only the beginning. Today, I want to share with you three key commitments that will guide SayPro’s path forward as we continue to integrate accessibility into our academic and organizational vision:

1. Inclusive Education as a Core Principle
   Moving forward, we will make accessible education a central pillar of our academic strategy. This means enhancing support for students with disabilities, integrating assistive technologies, and developing a curriculum that prepares all students to thrive in a diverse, global society.
2. Leadership and Advocacy for All
   We are launching initiatives to identify and empower future leaders with disabilities, giving them the tools and opportunities to serve at every level of leadership in our organization. Diversity in leadership means diversity in thought, creativity, and vision—and that’s how we’ll continue to innovate and grow.
3. Institutionalizing Accessibility in All Operations
   We will ensure that accessibility is embedded not only in our academic offerings but in all aspects of our operations—from governance to service delivery, from marketing to partnerships. Every action we take will be examined through an accessibility lens, and every decision will be made with inclusion as a guiding principle.

On this GAAD 2025, I call on all of us—not just as leaders but as citizens of a more accessible and equitable world—to take a moment to reflect: What more can we do to make accessibility a part of every facet of our lives, both within and beyond SayPro?

The future is accessible. It’s inclusive. It’s equitable. And at SayPro, we are committed to being not just part of that future, but its architects. Because when accessibility becomes the norm, not the exception, we unlock the potential of every person.

Thank you for your dedication to this cause. Together, we will continue to create a community where every individual—regardless of ability—is empowered, included, and celebrated.

Thank you.

By Puluko Nkiwane, Chief Marketing Officer, SayPro

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

It’s a privilege to speak with you today on Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025, a day that not only brings attention to the importance of accessibility but also challenges us to think critically about the role we all play in creating a more inclusive world.

As Chief Marketing Officer at SayPro, I believe that storytelling has the power to drive change—but only when the stories we tell reflect the diversity of the world we live in. Accessibility is not just a technical feature; it is a story of inclusion, opportunity, and empowerment. And it’s a story we’re committed to telling—across every campaign, every platform, and every interaction with our customers.

Over the past year, we’ve made tremendous strides in ensuring that accessibility is embedded into our marketing practices:

• We’ve revamped our digital presence to meet WCAG standards, ensuring that our website and online content are fully accessible to people with various disabilities.
• We’ve launched inclusive ad campaigns that feature real stories from people with disabilities, helping to raise awareness and challenge stereotypes.
• We’ve collaborated with accessibility advocates and influencers to amplify voices that have often been left out of the conversation, ensuring that our brand is a platform for diverse perspectives.

But we know that marketing, as powerful as it is, can only go so far if it doesn’t reflect the values we stand for. Our work is not just about reaching our audience—it’s about engaging and empowering them.

Looking ahead, we have three key goals for the next phase of our accessibility journey:

1. Inclusive Brand Messaging
   We’re committed to ensuring that accessibility is reflected in every piece of content we create—from blog posts and social media to advertising and video production. This means integrating diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences into our brand’s narrative, making accessibility a central theme of how we communicate.
2. Collaborative Partnerships for Awareness
   We are expanding our outreach efforts, working with disability-focused organizations, media outlets, and thought leaders to share insights, resources, and opportunities. Together, we’ll create campaigns that don’t just highlight accessibility but build a movement around it.
3. Accessibility as a Customer Experience
   Marketing doesn’t end with a message—it continues with the experience. We’re integrating accessibility features into our customer journey, from accessible customer service channels to easy-to-navigate websites and apps, ensuring that every interaction with our brand is frictionless, engaging, and empowering for all.

At SayPro, we understand that accessibility is not just a checkbox on a list—it’s a continuous, evolving commitment to meet the needs of every individual, regardless of ability.

As we celebrate GAAD 2025, I challenge all of us, as marketers, to ask: How can we shift our storytelling to reflect the true diversity of the people we serve?
How can we ensure that our marketing efforts are not just inclusive in message, but inclusive in practice?
How can we use our platforms to advocate for a world where accessibility is the norm, not the exception?

Together, we can create a future where accessibility is part of the narrative we all share—a future where every story is heard, every voice is valued, and every person is included.

Thank you—and let’s continue to build a world where accessibility is not just part of our marketing, but part of our mission.

Thank you.

By Regaugetswe Netshiozwe, Chief Development Officer, SayPro

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

It’s an honor to stand with you on this important day—Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025—as we continue to grow, innovate, and develop with accessibility at the very core of our mission.

As SayPro’s Chief Development Officer, my role is to focus on the future—the long-term vision, the strategies that drive our growth, and the partnerships that help us reach new heights. But in every decision, every development, and every opportunity, I know one thing for certain: accessibility must be part of our foundation.

Why? Because true development is only possible when everyone is included. When every person—regardless of ability—has the chance to contribute, thrive, and succeed. At SayPro, accessibility isn’t just about making things available; it’s about creating opportunities for everyone to engage and grow.

Over the past year, we’ve worked hard to embed accessibility into the very fabric of our development strategies:

• Inclusive product development has been a priority, ensuring that new solutions meet the diverse needs of all users from the outset.
• Our community outreach programs have expanded, with a focus on creating pathways for people with disabilities to access the resources and opportunities they deserve.
• And we’ve fostered new partnerships with disability-focused organizations, ensuring our growth benefits from deep insight, lived experiences, and co-created solutions.

But the work doesn’t stop here. This year, we are setting the stage for the next chapter of accessibility-driven development.

Here are three key commitments that will guide our future:

1. Building an Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem
   We will prioritize accessibility in our development roadmap by fostering an ecosystem of accessible innovation. From R&D to product launch, we’re ensuring every new development project has accessibility woven into its DNA from the very beginning.
2. Scaling Impact through Partnerships
   We’re expanding our global partnerships with development agencies, advocacy groups, and governments to ensure we’re leveraging collective resources to scale our impact, especially in regions where accessibility solutions are still catching up. Together, we’ll ensure no one is left behind.
3. Access to Opportunity for All
   Through targeted investments and sustainable programs, we’re dedicated to providing inclusive education and career development pathways for individuals with disabilities. This is a long-term investment in both human capital and a future that values diverse perspectives.

Because, as we all know, accessibility is not just about the present—it’s about the future.

It’s about creating sustainable systems where every person—regardless of their ability—has the chance to lead, contribute, and build the world of tomorrow.

Today, as we observe GAAD 2025, I want to challenge us all to ask: How can we, in our roles, create lasting, meaningful development that ensures equal access to opportunities for everyone?

At SayPro, we believe accessibility is the key to true, equitable development—for our organization, our partners, and most importantly, for the individuals and communities we serve.

Thank you for your dedication to this cause—and let’s continue to build a future where accessibility is the foundation upon which all development stands.

Thank you.

By Nancy Mdaka, Chief Strategic Partnership Officer, SayPro

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

Today, on Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025, we pause to reflect—and more importantly, to act. Because building a more accessible world is not the work of one department, one organization, or even one sector. It’s a shared responsibility—and a shared opportunity.

As SayPro’s Chief Strategic Partnership Officer, I have the privilege of working across boundaries—public and private, global and local—to help forge partnerships that drive inclusion and impact.

And here’s what we’ve learned: real progress in accessibility happens when we collaborate with purpose.

Over the past year, SayPro has strengthened our commitment to inclusive growth through partnerships that center accessibility. Together with our allies, we’ve:

• Co-created accessibility toolkits with civil society and advocacy groups to ensure our solutions reflect lived experience.
• Partnered with educational institutions to support inclusive training and workforce development for persons with disabilities.
• Worked alongside governments and international organizations to align our programs with national accessibility strategies and global frameworks like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

But our work is far from done. And today, I’m proud to announce SayPro’s next steps:

1. Global Accessibility Partnership Network
   We’re launching a multi-stakeholder platform to bring together companies, nonprofits, governments, and disabled persons’ organizations to share knowledge, align strategies, and scale innovation.
2. Local Action, Global Impact
   We’re investing in community-driven partnerships—especially in underserved regions—where local expertise guides inclusive implementation of SayPro services.
3. Shared Metrics, Shared Accountability
   We’re introducing collaborative impact measurement tools so our partners and stakeholders can track accessibility outcomes together, not in silos.

Because the truth is, accessibility isn’t just about building ramps or adding captions. It’s about restructuring relationships, reimagining systems, and making space at every table—for everyone.

On this GAAD 2025, I invite all our current and future partners to join us in this mission.

Let’s not compete on accessibility—let’s collaborate on it.
Let’s not just raise awareness—let’s raise expectations.
Let’s build partnerships not just based on shared interests—but on shared values.

At SayPro, we believe accessibility is not a trend or a technical fix. It’s a movement. And movements are built through trust, partnership, and collective will.

Thank you to all the organizations, advocates, and allies who’ve walked this path with us.

Let’s keep going—together.

Thank you.

By Neftaly Malatjie, Chief Legal Officer, SayPro

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

Today, on Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025, we reaffirm a truth that sits at the heart of both our mission and our legal obligations: Accessibility is a right, not a privilege.

As SayPro’s Chief Legal Officer, I have the responsibility—and the honor—of ensuring that we are not only compliant with laws and regulations, but aligned with the deeper principles of justice, equity, and inclusion.

Accessibility is not just a matter of policy or preference. It is embedded in international human rights law, national legislation, and, increasingly, in the expectations of the communities and markets we serve. But more than that—it reflects who we are and what we stand for as an organization.

Over the past year, SayPro’s legal and compliance teams have worked tirelessly to make that commitment real:

• We conducted a comprehensive legal audit of our policies and contracts, identifying and removing barriers to inclusion across operations, partnerships, and procurement.
• We have built accessibility clauses into our vendor agreements and service contracts, ensuring that everyone we do business with is held to the same standard of equity.
• And we have developed an internal accessibility compliance framework, training staff across departments on legal requirements like the ADA, the UNCRPD, and national accessibility standards relevant to every market we serve.

But legal compliance is only the floor—not the ceiling.

Today, I want to speak not just about what the law requires, but what leadership demands.

That’s why I’m proud to announce three legal and ethical priorities that will guide our path forward:

1. Accessible Policy Design
   We will ensure that all internal policies—from HR to IT to customer service—are reviewed and updated with accessibility and inclusivity at their core, not as an afterthought.
2. Rights-Based Training & Advocacy
   We’re launching a legal education series across SayPro to help employees understand accessibility not just as compliance—but as a rights-based, justice-oriented commitment.
3. Proactive Legal Leadership
   We will continue engaging with global policymakers, regulators, and advocacy groups to help shape forward-looking, inclusive legislation and promote harmonized global standards.

On this GAAD 2025, I want to make something clear: compliance alone is not enough. True accessibility means removing barriers before they cause harm, designing inclusively from the start, and championing the dignity and autonomy of every person.

As legal professionals, we are stewards of both risk management and rights protection. And at SayPro, we will continue using the law as a tool for empowerment, equity, and progress.

To our teams, our partners, and the communities we serve—thank you for holding us to a higher standard.

Together, let’s keep building a world where accessibility is not just something we do—it’s who we are.

Thank you.

By Keamogetswe Toka, Chief Finance Officer, SayPro

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

It’s an honor to stand with you on this significant occasion—Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025.

As Chief Finance Officer, I’m often asked: What does finance have to do with accessibility? My answer is simple—everything.

Because accessibility isn’t just a moral imperative. It’s a strategic investment. It’s about building a business that is inclusive, future-ready, and resilient. And at SayPro, we believe that how we allocate resources reflects who we are—and who we serve.

Over the past year, we’ve been intentional about aligning our financial systems with our values. Here’s how we’ve made accessibility a budgeted priority—not an afterthought:

• We created a dedicated Accessibility & Inclusion Fund to support innovation, retrofitting, inclusive procurement, and assistive technologies.
• We integrated accessibility benchmarks into financial risk and compliance frameworks, ensuring that exclusion is seen not only as an ethical failure—but as a business risk.
• And we have begun tracking return on inclusion, measuring how investments in accessibility improve customer satisfaction, employee productivity, and community engagement.

Why? Because the numbers are clear: inclusive organizations perform better. And more importantly, they do right by people.

But we’re not stopping there. I’m proud to announce three new financial commitments as part of SayPro’s 2025 accessibility strategy:

1. Accessibility-First Capital Planning
   Going forward, all major infrastructure, technology, and product development budgets will include built-in accessibility assessments and costings—from the start, not as a retrofit.
2. Inclusive Procurement Policy
   We are expanding our vendor criteria to prioritize partners who share our accessibility values—because inclusion must flow through our entire supply chain.
3. Transparent Reporting
   Starting this year, SayPro will publish annual accessibility investment reports—highlighting how, where, and why we spend on inclusion—ensuring transparency, accountability, and trust.

Accessibility isn’t a cost—it’s an opportunity. An opportunity to reach more people, serve more communities, and demonstrate leadership in a world that’s increasingly demanding both innovation and integrity.

On GAAD 2025, I want to challenge my fellow finance leaders—inside and outside SayPro—to ask:
Are we funding the future we say we believe in?
Are our budgets as inclusive as our mission?
Are we investing in equity—not just efficiency?

At SayPro, we are. And we will continue to do so.

Because in the end, the real bottom line is this: everyone deserves access. Everyone deserves opportunity. And everyone deserves to be included in the economy of the future.

Thank you—and let’s keep building that future together.

By Tsakani Rikhotso, Chief Learning & Monitoring Officer, SayPro

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

It is both an honor and a responsibility to speak with you today as we observe Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025.

At SayPro, accessibility is more than a principle—it is a practice. It is something we learn, monitor, refine, and embed into everything we do. As Chief Learning & Monitoring Officer, I am proud to say: accessibility is not an afterthought in our learning systems—it is at the core of how we grow.

Let’s be clear: an inclusive organization doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by choice, by learning, and by accountability.

Over the past year, SayPro has deepened its learning and evaluation framework to ensure that every learner, every staff member, and every stakeholder can access knowledge equitably—regardless of ability, background, or role.

Here’s what that looked like in practice:

• We conducted a comprehensive accessibility audit of all our learning platforms, training content, and digital resources—and redesigned where needed to ensure universal access.
• We rolled out mandatory training on inclusive facilitation and digital accessibility across all departments, reaching over 95% of our workforce.
• And through our Monitoring & Evaluation systems, we’ve begun tracking accessibility and inclusion as core performance indicators, alongside traditional impact metrics.

Because at SayPro, we believe: what gets measured, gets improved.

So, what’s next? I’m excited to share three strategic priorities that will guide our accessibility journey in 2025 and beyond:

1. Accessible Learning by Design
   All new SayPro training materials—whether in-person, virtual, or self-paced—will follow universal design principles from day one, ensuring everyone can participate and thrive.
2. Feedback Loops that Work for All
   We’re enhancing our monitoring tools to ensure feedback mechanisms are fully accessible—across languages, devices, and abilities—so that every voice can be heard and acted upon.
3. Inclusion as a Learning Outcome
   We are embedding accessibility into our learning assessments and program evaluations. Because we can’t call something a “success” if it only worked for some.

GAAD is not just a reminder—it’s a reset. A moment to reflect not only on how far we’ve come, but on how much further we must go to ensure that learning is inclusive, data is equitable, and progress is shared.

To all our partners, teams, and learners: thank you for helping us stay accountable, curious, and committed.

At SayPro, we believe that accessibility is a journey of continuous learning. And we will never stop asking the question: Who might we be leaving behind? And more importantly: What must we do to bring them in?

Thank you—and let’s keep building systems where every learner, every voice, and every perspective matters.

By Patricia Tsebe, Chief Research Officer

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

It’s a privilege to join you today on Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025, a moment not only to reflect—but to recommit. At SayPro, we believe accessibility is not simply a value—it’s a vision powered by research, evidence, and lived experience.

As Chief Research Officer, I see firsthand the power of information to inspire change. But data without inclusion is incomplete. And innovation without accessibility is inequity in disguise.

Over the last year, SayPro has focused our research efforts on one core truth: you cannot design for what you do not understand. That’s why we’ve transformed our research agenda with accessibility at the center—not at the sidelines.

Here’s how:

• We’ve embedded inclusive user research protocols into every project—from usability testing to early concept validation—ensuring we learn directly from people with disabilities.
• We’ve launched a longitudinal accessibility insights program, tracking how users with a wide range of abilities interact with our products over time, so we can identify gaps, solve pain points, and forecast future needs.
• And we’ve expanded our research participant panels to ensure diverse representation across ability, age, geography, and socio-economic status.

This is more than good research. It’s the foundation of ethical, equitable innovation.

Looking ahead, we’re committing to three strategic goals:

1. Inclusive Insights at Scale
   All major product research initiatives will incorporate accessibility-specific metrics—because what we measure is what we improve.
2. Accessibility Foresight Labs
   We’re establishing cross-functional teams that explore emerging technologies—AI, extended reality, wearable tech—through the lens of accessibility from the very beginning.
3. Community-Led Research Models
   We’re building deeper partnerships with organizations led by and for people with disabilities to co-create research, not just conduct it. Our job isn’t to study communities—it’s to listen, learn, and act together.

Let’s be clear: accessibility research isn’t niche. It’s essential. It helps us design products that are not only inclusive—but smarter, more resilient, and more human.

Because when we include more voices in our research, we discover insights that benefit everyone.

On this GAAD 2025, I’m calling on my fellow researchers—within SayPro and beyond—to ask deeper questions, challenge assumptions, and expand the boundaries of what inclusion in innovation truly means.

At SayPro, we’re not just gathering data—we’re advancing equity. We’re turning feedback into features. And we’re building a future where everyone can participate fully, because accessibility is not an outcome—it’s a process we all share responsibility for.

Thank you—and let’s continue to make knowledge a bridge, not a barrier.

By Moses Mnisi, Chief Technology Officer

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

Today, on Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025, we’re not just raising awareness—we’re raising our standards.

As Chief Technology Officer at SayPro, I have the privilege—and the responsibility—of ensuring that the technologies we build empower everyone, regardless of ability. Because in 2025, accessibility is not optional. It is essential. It is expected. It is non-negotiable.

Let me be clear: technology shapes lives. The apps we code, the platforms we design, the systems we automate—they either include or exclude. And at SayPro, we choose inclusion every time.

This past year, we’ve made meaningful strides:

• We’ve integrated accessibility testing into every stage of our development pipeline, from early prototypes to production releases.
• We’ve launched an internal Accessibility Innovation Lab, where developers, designers, and users with disabilities collaborate to break barriers and build better tech.
• And we’ve upskilled our entire engineering team with training on WCAG compliance, assistive technology compatibility, and inclusive UX principles.

But this is not just about hitting compliance checkboxes. It’s about shifting mindsets.

So what’s next? Here are our 2025–2026 commitments:

1. Inclusive Innovation at Scale
   Every new product feature at SayPro will undergo accessibility evaluation not just for usability, but for delight and dignity. We’re building with empathy—because good design works for everyone.
2. AI for Accessibility
   We’re investing in AI-driven tools that help automate accessibility testing and improve real-time user support for individuals using screen readers, voice commands, or alternative input devices.
3. Open Source, Open Access
   We’re launching a new open-source initiative to share accessible code libraries, design systems, and tooling with the broader tech community—because the mission is bigger than us.

Accessibility is not a feature. It’s a fundamental aspect of quality. Just like security, performance, or scalability, it must be baked into every line of code, every architecture diagram, and every product roadmap.

And to do that, we need more than technology—we need listening. We need people with lived experience at the table, leading the charge. That’s why we’ve expanded our partnerships with disability-led organizations and recruited more technologists with disabilities to shape our solutions from the ground up.

Let me leave you with this:

The best technology doesn’t just work. It works for everyone.

On GAAD 2025, I call on all of us—engineers, designers, product managers, executives—to continue treating accessibility as a shared standard, not a siloed specialty.

At SayPro, we are building a digital future where inclusion is automatic, not afterthought. Where accessibility is engineered in—not added on. And where innovation serves the many, not just the few.

Thank you—and let’s keep coding a world where access for all is our default setting.

By Clifford Legodi, Chief Operations Officer, SayPro

Good [morning/afternoon], everyone.

It’s a privilege to speak with you today as we recognize Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025—a day that reminds us that inclusion is not just an ideal—it’s an operational imperative.

At SayPro, accessibility is embedded in how we operate, not just what we build. From our frontline services to our backend systems, from employee workflows to customer experiences, we strive to ensure that accessibility is not a separate track—it’s the main track.

And that’s not by accident.

It’s the result of intentional effort, partnership, and accountability at every level of our operations.

This past year, we’ve taken real steps forward:

• We’ve standardized accessibility criteria across all procurement and vendor selection processes, ensuring that every partner we work with shares our values.
• We’ve trained 100% of our operations staff—from customer service to logistics—in accessible communication and inclusive service delivery.
• And we’ve launched a company-wide Accessibility Integration Framework, helping every department measure and improve its accessibility outcomes with clarity and purpose.

But the truth is: progress never ends. And good intentions aren’t enough.

So today, I’m proud to share our next set of operational commitments:

1. Accessible by Design Across All Channels
   Whether it’s our mobile apps, customer service lines, events, or learning platforms—accessibility will be built in from day one, not bolted on later.
2. Operational Equity for All Employees
   We’re enhancing our internal systems to ensure that employees with disabilities—visible or invisible—have equal access to tools, opportunities, and support, no matter their role or location.
3. Data-Driven Accountability
   We’re rolling out new metrics and dashboards that help us track accessibility performance, resolve issues quickly, and ensure we’re delivering on our promises—not just making them.

At SayPro, we’re not just talking about accessibility—we’re operationalizing it. And that’s what makes our commitment sustainable.

Accessibility isn’t only about compliance. It’s about dignity, independence, and equal opportunity. It’s about the belief that every person deserves the same level of service, respect, and access—every time.

As Chief Operations Officer, I see accessibility as a continuous process—one that requires alignment, resources, and most importantly, humility. We must always be listening, learning, and improving.

To our team members, partners, advocates, and customers: thank you for pushing us to do better and be better.

Let’s make sure that when we gather again for GAAD 2026, we’re not just celebrating what we’ve done—we’re proud of how far we’ve moved the needle for real, measurable, inclusive progress.

Thank you—and let’s keep building a more accessible world, together.