Inclusive education consultant and disability advocate Beverly LeBlanc has called for digital accessibility to be built into Dominica's digital transformation from the outset. Her position is that technological progress cannot be considered genuinely inclusive if persons with disabilities are unable to use the tools and services being introduced.
LeBlanc, an instructional designer by training, argues that accessibility should be treated as a core design requirement rather than an afterthought. In her view, systems that are launched first and adapted later tend to leave persons with disabilities behind, creating barriers to education, information and public services that others take for granted.
Her remarks were published by Dominica News Online in its artificial intelligence section. The available text of her argument is limited, so the specific measures she proposes, and any particular government programmes or initiatives she may have referenced, cannot be reported in detail here.
The call comes at a time when digital tools are becoming central to how Dominicans access learning, government and everyday services. Her message is that the benefits of that shift should reach every citizen, including those with visual, hearing, physical, cognitive or other disabilities, who would be shut out if accessibility is overlooked.
Dominica 1 will continue to follow discussion on inclusive digital development as it unfolds across the island.
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