EXPLAINER: How TheCable DINA, Nigeria’s first inclusive news app, works

On Thursday, TheCable, Nigeria’s leading online newspaper, launched Disability Inclusive News Application (DINA). 

The unveiling of the mobile application took place on Tuesday in Lagos as part of the activities to mark the ninth anniversary of TheCable.

The app, built in partnership with Project Enable Africa, has assistive features to provide persons with disabilities (PWDs) access to the news.

TheCable DINA is the first of its kind in Nigeria with inclusion at the heart of the innovative tool, which can be used by all, including persons with one form of disability or the other.

The app was selected as one of the winners of the Google News Initiative (GNI) Innovation Challenge in 2022.

Speaking at the launch, Mayowa Tijani, DINA project lead, said the assistive features in DINA would primarily help people with visual impairment, auditory issues, and some limb challenges to get access to the news with ease.

HOW THE APP WORKS

As you open the app, TheCable DINA welcomes you to a page where you can tailor the categories of news to your personal preferences.

The feature enables users to streamline content and direct access to the stories they care about, saving time and energy.

For people with visual impairment, TheCable DINA works with their devices’ talkback feature on Android and voice-over feature on iOS. For those using these features, the app loudly reads out every icon interacted with on the app, which facilitates smooth navigation.

The application also reads out the headline and the category of news and the time of publication, and the exact instruction that takes the user to the story.

Once inside the story, users have the option of reading the report or listening to the selected article. The feature is important for people with visual impairment and persons with a minimal feel of limbs.

Underneath the story, there is a navigation bar with the option “Home”, which returns users to the main page of the app.

The bar also includes a “Search” option for users with specific keywords in mind. Next is the “Saved” option which allows users to download stories for later consumption. The feature helps users keep tabs on important stories despite busy schedules or while on the go.

There is also a “More” option which takes the user to subpages where they can adjust the size of fonts and switch between light and dark modes. The features aid persons with limited visibility to digest reports without aggravating the condition.

IMPROVEMENTS

At the launch, Tijani said TheCable DINA would be relying on feedback from users to further modify the app to serve more people on the disability spectrum.

He added that the suggested improvements — which can be sent here — would be added to future versions of the app.

The project lead also said DINA is looking for ways to infuse options in local voices in the recitation of the news. He added that the modification would ensure the proper pronunciation of indigenous names and places to listeners.

TheCable DINA is available for download on Google Play and Apple Store.