National Youth Commission (NYC) Deputy Chairperson Petronella Linders says Information Communication Technology (ICT) is the most appropriate tool for people with disabilities to get connected to society.

She says technology enables them to participate fully in society.

Speaking to BuaNews at the end of Pamoja South African Development Community (SADC) Disability Conference held in Kempton Park, near Johannesburg, Ms Linden said there was a need to widen technology application to accommodate people with disabilities.

The two-day conference, was a build-up to the forthcoming World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) conference to be held later in November this year.

"There is a need to look at how best people with disabilities can access websites and fully participate in the ICT sector," she said.

"People need to have access to all technology infrastructure and this will contribute in making people's lives improve for the better."

The Pamoja Disability Conference was attended by over 500 delegates who included SADC Cabinet Ministers and representatives of the private sector and organisations of disabled people.

The main objective of the conference was to build an inclusive information society and to have all ICT stakeholders accommodating people with disabilities.

It is estimated that more than 500 million people in the world are disabled.

The conference was also aimed at creating a platform for dialogue among people with disabilities in the SADC region in preparation for the WSIS to be held in Tunisia in November.