LearnArk Offers Free Tech Training for Disabled Talent

LearnArk Launches Free Digital Training for Disabled Talent

On November 11, 2026, techcabal.com reported on the launch of LearnArk Inclusion Academy by technology advocate Adedolapo Oguntayo-Williams. The edtech platform offers tuition-free tech training designed for deaf, blind, and physically impaired talent. Oguntayo-Williams was motivated to establish the academy after attending a 2024 banking conference in Lagos, where the complete absence of wheelchair ramps forced her to push her daughter's stroller over physical obstacles.

From Industrial Engineering to Enterprise Automation

Oguntayo-Williams began her higher education at Eastern Mediterranean University in Cyprus in 2012, studying industrial engineering. In 2013, she earned the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus State Scholarship and added business administration as a second major. During her undergraduate studies, she launched Deroy Consults to host business seminars for students and worked in cafes, developing Turkish language fluency that proved valuable in her subsequent corporate roles.

After a brief tenure as a paralegal secretary in New York in 2016, she returned to Nigeria in 2017 to work as director of marketing for a consulting business on a monthly salary of ₦50,000. In 2018, she joined fashion enterprise Ruff 'n' Tumble as an executive assistant and vendor buyer under founder Adenike Ogunlesi. By 2019, she transitioned into enterprise software as a business transformation analyst at AXA Mansard, converting legacy paper workflows into automated digital systems, before moving to global software firm ShortPoint in August 2020.

These combined corporate experiences led her to build LearnArk Inclusion Academy, created to empower disabled individuals with technical competencies so they can secure high-value roles in the digital economy. Her project supports ongoing movements toward closing the disability tech gap in Africa.

What This Means for You

For shop and supermarket owners across Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, this story highlights important operational considerations regarding accessibility and store management:

• Store entrance accessibility: Physical barriers like steps without ramps prevent potential customers, including parents with strollers and shoppers with mobility impairments, from entering your store. Making your entrance accessible broadens your customer footprint.
• Automating manual store records: Replacing manual paper logs with automated tools reduces errors and saves time. Shop owners across West and East Africa can benefit from using digital tools for shop bookkeeping to monitor stock and daily sales efficiently.
• Inclusive workforce practices: Building an inclusive business culture helps employers hire skilled workers who are frequently overlooked. Integrating modern solutions like an enterprise digital assistant allows small store teams to manage routine tasks seamlessly.
• Government standards and enterprise growth: Agencies like the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria advocate for modern operational practices and structured growth among small businesses.

What to Do Now

Small business owners can take immediate practical steps to upgrade store operations and accessibility:

1. Evaluate store physical access: Inspect your storefront to confirm that wheelchair users and customers with strollers can navigate your entrance easily.
2. Identify manual bottlenecks: Pinpoint daily shop tasks that rely heavily on manual handwriting or paper logs, such as inventory taking and sales tracking.
3. Adopt simple digital tracking tools: Shift your accounting and stock management to basic software to ensure clear financial records.
4. Train store employees: Instruct sales attendants to provide courteous support to customers with special physical requirements.