iSchoolAfrica’s work to zero barriers given global recognition

Michelle Lissoos and iSchoolAfrica have made such a difference to the lives of disabled South Africans, it was awarded an international Zero Project Award for doing its bit to remove barriers in education and information and communication technologies (ICT).

They were informed of the award by Zero Project, a global initiative to support the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Lissoos, iSchoolAfrica’s founder and executive director, and the rest of the team said it was fitting that they heard about the award on this special day.

“It’s such an important day on our calendar,” said Lissoos. “In our world, every day is an important day, so it was especially meaningful because it almost made what we do tangible and recognised that we’re making the difference we set out to make.

“We looked at the statistics of 1% of disabled people being employed in South Africa, and we looked at the statistics about the need for technology roles and technology developers. We brought these two societal issues together, and launched the Deaf Developers Programme,” said Lissoos.

iSchoolAfrica seeks to reduce inequalities and enhance opportunities for exceptional employment and economic growth, with a focus on under-resourced schools, mainstream and special needs, from early childhood development to Grade 12.

It’s one of 77 innovative solutions from 45 countries that will receive a Zero Project Award at the Zero Project Conference 2025 in Vienna, Austria, in March 2025.

The school trained eight deaf youth to become iOS developers, for which they are now all employed. It’s also raising the skills of education faculty and its corporate partners to ensure meaningful work and accessible workplaces.

The small programme has also introduced 100 new coding terms that have been approved in South African Sign Language.

The course takes place over a year, and includes Apple’s Develop in Swift Curriculum; work readiness modules; App development projects; and internships in partner corporations.

Said Lissoos, “The thing about this programme is that it’s about creating meaningful and relevant employment. It’s looking at where their abilities are, not their disabilities, and we train the corporate to become an inclusive environment.”

Lissoos said that to win this award and be recognised on such a global stage wasn’t just a win for the organisation, but a win for anyone who advocates for people with disabilities.

“The message of the award is something that we align and resonate with – to create a world with zero barriers for people with disabilities,” said Lissoos. “It recognises that what we’re doing is so important and so groundbreaking, and it’s always been about not catering to a lowest common denominator, and always making sure we bring in the best of the best.”

When Lissoos told participants that the programme had won this prestigious award, she said they were over the moon and proud to show what they could now do.

“They’re proud to be part of the things we did on this programme,” she said. “The deaf community is excited to be recognised through the Deaf Developers Programme, and also for the importance of teaching deaf youth proper skills.”

iSchoolAfrica was established in 2009 to make the world’s best technology and classroom practices more accessible.

Said Lissoos, “We saw the huge impact Apple technology had on more resourced schools, and the divide getting bigger and bigger, with compromised programmes being dumped on under-resourced schools. So, I thought of iSchoolAfrica, and the core group was established in 2009.”

The basic premise is that a mobile iPad laboratory is taken into classrooms and preloaded so that when iSchoolAfrica leaves the school, teachers carry on with using the content in laboratories in the classroom.

“In under-resourced communities, students with disabilities and learning barriers are further marginalised for a host of reasons,” Lissoos said. “An estimated 600 000 children with disabilities remain out of school in South Africa. Where students are in school, their schools aren’t teaching them adequate skills to support their development and help them lead an independent life, with very little chance of them finding meaningful employment. There isn’t adequate skills or funding for reasonable accommodation, assistive devices, and other support.”

Over the organisation’s 15 years, it has reached 100 000 students in 300 schools, and trained 3 300 teachers.

Lissoos is travelling to Vienna next year to showcase the Deaf Developers Programme at the Zero Project Conference at the United Nations Office in that city.

She said the award was a testimony to the importance of disability inclusion, and promoted funding programmes that were more inclusive and education-inclusive workplaces.

“I’m excited to see what other people are doing and to learn from them,” she said. “There’s a lot of pressure on us to make sure that we don’t stop here, that we continue to grow the programme and to reach more youth with disabilities.”