As the world moves towards technological advancement and digital transformation, women with disabilities continue to struggle for basic access and inclusion on digital platforms. In Pakistan, these challenges remain pressing, with accessibility gaps preventing many women from fully benefiting from the digital revolution.
Huma Shaheen, a senior producer at the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, has never allowed her visual impairment to hold her back. She shared that visually impaired women in Pakistan are actively using social media, such as WhatsApp and Twitter, as vital tools of communication.
In Pakistan, the access to mobile phones and internet has improved over time but digital inclusion for women with disabilities remains limited due to intersecting social, economic, and technological barriers, said Fariha Iqbal, a technology consultant and digital inclusion specialist. Women with multiple disabilities — such as combined hearing and vision loss — often find existing platforms unsuitable, Iqbal reasoned. “They may use social media, messaging apps, and platforms like YouTube, but their freedom is constrained.”
The reason lies in the lack of assistive technology tailored to Pakistan’s needs, Iqbal said. Screen readers, voice commands, and captioning tools remain underdeveloped in Urdu and other local languages, making many platforms inaccessible. Pakistan also lacks locally developed guidance and accessibility apps. International tools such as Microsoft’s Seeing AI or Be My Eyes offer some support for blind users, but only for those who are fluent in English.
For meaningful inclusion, we need universal design integrated into local platforms with features such as local language support, easy navigation, and built-in assistive technology, Iqbal shared. Pakistan also requires a strong, integrated policy framework, the development of local applications, and widespread training programs to bridge the digital divide, she added.
Abia Akram, an activist leading the way for women and girls with disabilities in Pakistan, described the situation of women with disabilities in the country as ‘painful’. She shared, in a special interview, that at least 10 to 15 percent of Pakistan’s population live with some form of disability, at least half of them are women and girls. Despite their significant numbers, she said, they remain marginalised and unsupported by systems meant to protect and serve.
One of the most critical challenges is reporting cases of violence, said Akram, the chief executive of the National Forum of Women with Disabilities in Pakistan. Women and girls with disabilities face multiple obstacles stemming from the lack of sign language interpretation in police stations, to the absence of ramps, to the refusal to accept testimony from blind women, she remarked. It’s not even about inaccessibility as the entire service structure has failed them, she said, adding that there is no comprehensive support system in the country for women and girls with disabilities.
Akram does, however, believe that digital platforms hold the potential to change this situation, provided they are designed inclusively. Access to digital platforms is vital for women and girls with disabilities, she said. Through digital complaint forms, women can report cases of violence without having to navigate hostile or inaccessible physical spaces. These forms can provide step-by-step guidance on the procedure and help ensure that no woman is silenced because of her disability,” she explained.
Federal Information Commissioner Zahid Abdullah spoke on the urgency of digital inclusion. Much of people’s lives in Pakistan are now online — from job searches to employment systems. If platforms remain inaccessible, it means women with disabilities are being excluded from these opportunities, he added.
Abdullah pointed out that although Pakistan has a disability policy for the IT sector, its implementation remains weak. Technology evolves quickly and policies must keep pace with these changes if they are to remain effective, he remarked.
Access denied
Shaheen also pointed out that different devices often pose difficulties for women with disabilities. “iPhones do not fully support the Urdu language, while Android devices provide better Urdu compatibility along with other convenient features,” she explained. For this reason, most visually impaired users prefer Android over iPhone.
She added that visually impaired people in Pakistan use the same mobile phones as the general public. “There is no special difference. iPhone users rely on the VoiceOver feature, while Android users depend on TalkBack,” she said. What we really need are simple, free applications. We don’t require advanced features, but accessibility should be built into the platforms we use, Shaheen added.
Similar concerns were echoed by Abdullah. The iPhone still lacks full Urdu support, while Android provides more options, he shared. Similarly, major platforms like Facebook and X do not offer meaningful Urdu-language accessibility features for visually impaired users.
He emphasized that Android phones are currently more suitable for people with disabilities in Pakistan. But the bigger issue, he said, lies in the accessibility of websites. Most websites, including those of media organizations, fail to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). As a result, they remain out of reach for visually impaired users, Abdullah added.
Shaheen shared that websites in Pakistan, especially those run by institutions, are rarely accessible to visually impaired users, adding that this area requires urgent attention.
Across expert and user perspectives, one message is consistent: the digital inclusion of women with disabilities in Pakistan requires systemic change. Local-language support, universal design, and the integration of assistive technologies are crucial. But equally important are effective policies and their implementation, as well as investment in training programs and the development of local solutions.
The Human Rights Watch estimates the presence of 3.3 million to 27 million people with disabilities in Pakistan. Official registration data also paints a fragmented picture. In 2021, 371,833 people with disabilities were registered with NADRA, though the data was not gender-segregated. The last census of 1998 revealed that 41.6 percent of Pakistan’s population with disabilities were women — a figure that underscores the gendered dimensions of exclusion.
Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2011, three years after its adoption at the UN level, and has since introduced several national strategies to improve digital inclusion. However, implementation remains weak. Chronic budget constraints, the lack of trained staff, and minimal institutional mechanisms continue to undermine meaningful progress.
There have, however, been some positive developments. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has initiated work on an “inclusive ICT” policy, while civil society organizations such as the Disabled Women Network have organized digital literacy workshops. Yet, these initiatives are small in scale and scattered, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive policy reforms, consistent resource allocation, and widespread awareness campaigns.
Noor, a chatbot for women with disabilities
Keeping in mind the barriers women with disabilities face in accessing services and reporting violence, a new initiative called ‘Noor AI’ has been introduced in Pakistan. The mobile application, which can be downloaded and fully accessed on smartphones, is designed specifically to support women and girls with disabilities by guiding them through complaint procedures, educational opportunities, and other essential services.
Developed by the Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) in collaboration with the United Nations, NACTA, and the European Union, Noor uses artificial intelligence to provide real-time assistance. It represents a significant step forward in leveraging technology for the empowerment of women with disabilities in Pakistan. According to STEP, the app is not just a tool but a platform for peer support.
In partnership with the government, STEP is also working to expand access to services in critical areas such as policing, healthcare, and education. The launch of Noor chatbot underlines a broader principle: the inclusion of women with disabilities in the digital world is not simply about convenience — it is about rights.
The story has been edited by Yasal Munim who works as Senior Manager Programs at Media Matters for Democracy.
