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My three takeaways from the Global Data Festival

June 2026

By Caterina Nyambura, disability advocate, content creator and creative entrepreneur. She is the founder of disability organisation Enabled Initiative. Caterina’s LinkedIn

From 2-5 June 2026, I had the privilege of attending the Global Data Festival in Nairobi, Kenya. It was the first time the international event has been hosted in Africa.

Bringing together more than 1,300 participants from more than 60 countries, the event created a unique space for conversations about data, technology, innovation, inclusion and the future of our societies. The festival was officially opened by Kenya’s deputy president, highlighting the growing importance of data and technology in shaping development outcomes.

As a disability advocate and participant in the Inclusion Pavilion, an open, interactive space co-sponsored by Sightsavers and Equality Insights, I left with many learnings. However, three key takeaways stood out for me, all of which reinforced the importance of disability-inclusive data.

A woman holding a clipboard collects information from a woman wearing a chador.

Sightsavers and inclusive data

Globally, there’s a lack of accurate data on disability. But we’re helping to change this by collecting, analysing and using inclusive data, ensuring no one is left behind.

Our approach to data
Caterina stands next to a banner that reads
Caterina at the Global Data Festival in Kenya. © Sightsavers

1. Inclusive data equals better decisions

My biggest takeaway was a simple but powerful realisation: data is about people.

Throughout the festival, I attended discussions on artificial intelligence, public health, disability inclusion and innovation. While technology continues to evolve rapidly, its effectiveness depends heavily on the quality and inclusiveness of the data behind it.

When people with disabilities and other marginalised groups are not represented in data collection, research and decision-making processes, they are often excluded from solutions. This can lead to policies, technologies and services that unintentionally leave people behind.

One example we discussed at the Inclusion Pavilion was the use of geographic information systems and data mapping to support trachoma prevention and treatment. By collecting accurate community-level data, organisations can identify where interventions are needed most and allocate resources effectively. This demonstrated how data can directly improve lives when it reflects people’s realities.

For me, inclusive data is not simply about collecting more information. It is about ensuring that everyone counts, and everyone’s experiences shape decisions that affect them.

Inclusive data is about ensuring that everyone counts.

2. Meaningful participation must come before innovation

My second takeaway was the need to involve communities from the very beginning of any innovation process.

Across many sessions, there was excitement about artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. While these developments offer enormous potential, innovation cannot succeed if it is designed without the people it aims to serve.

Too often, communities are consulted only after products, systems or policies have already been developed. By then, important perspectives may have been overlooked.

As disability advocates, we often say, “Nothing about us without us”. This principle remains highly relevant in conversations about data and technology. People understand their own challenges, needs and priorities better than anyone else. Their lived experiences provide valuable insights that cannot be captured through assumptions alone.

Meaningful participation helps identify barriers early, improves the relevance of solutions, and builds trust between developers and communities. Whether we are discussing disability inclusion, healthcare, education or artificial intelligence, involving people from the start leads to better outcomes for everyone.

Eight women proudly smile beside large canvases on easels.

Meet the climate-justice photographers

In Kenya, a project is highlighting the climate-related challenges faced by women with disabilities.

Read the story
An audience watches a presentation. To the right of the stage, a woman is translating using sign language.
Sightsavers’ session on partnerships and collaboration included live sign language interpretation. © Sightsavers/Dorothy Okeyo

3. Stories are powerful forms of data

My third takeaway connects closely to the work I do through the Disability Community Empowerment Program (DICEP), an organisation of people with disabilities in Kenya.

Together with my colleagues, we use storytelling to promote disability awareness and advocacy. We support organisations by transforming complex research findings, technical information and development messages into engaging scripts and performances that are easier for communities to understand and connect with.

While statistics help us understand trends and patterns, stories help us understand people. Data can tell us how many people face barriers, but stories help us understand what those barriers actually feel like in everyday life.

This is particularly important in disability inclusion work. Numbers alone cannot fully capture people’s experiences of exclusion, resilience or participation. By combining quantitative data with lived experiences and storytelling, organisations can create a more complete picture of reality.

As discussions around inclusive data continue to grow, I believe there is an opportunity to bridge the gap between evidence and understanding. Storytelling can help make data more accessible, relatable and actionable for decision-makers, communities and the public.

Statistics help us understand trends, stories help us understand people.

Inclusion is not an afterthought

The Global Data Festival and Kenya Space Expo & Conference highlighted the tremendous opportunities that data and technology offer. However, they also reminded me that inclusion cannot be treated as an afterthought.

If we want data-driven solutions that truly work, we must ensure that people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups are visible within the data, involved in decision-making processes, and able to share their lived experiences.

Inclusive data is not just about improving statistics. It is about creating systems, technologies and policies that reflect the realities of all people.

As Africa continues to play an increasingly important role in global conversations about data and innovation, we have an opportunity to build a future where no one is left behind – and where every person counts.

Caterina’s photography work was featured in the Hear Me, See Me project, highlighting the climate-related challenges faced by women with disabilities.

Inclusive data is about creating solutions that reflect the realities of all people.

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