Building for African realitiesSteward is emerging at a time when advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping assistive technology. While those products have expanded what is possible for blind users, Quartey believed they could be adapted further for African contexts. “But when I engaged with visually impaired users, I realised the white cane actually does much more than I thought. According to AT4D, an initiative that supports assistive technology innovation, a large percent of assistive technology entrepreneurs identify funding as their biggest barrier to entering the market. It is about demonstrating that assistive technology for African users should be designed around their realities, rather than adapted as an afterthought.