Our History

In 1983 Neville Clarence, a South African Air Force officer, lost his eyesight in a bomb explosion. A year later he imported a speech synthesizer for use with an IBM PC. At the time this was one of only four talking computers in Africa. In 1986 Computer Aid for the Disabled, later to become known as COMAD, a special interest group, was established with Neville Clarence elected Chairman.

The membership and undertakings of COMAD grew so rapidly that by early 1989 it was evident that it needed a complete change of modus operandi. In July that year, after a detailed market study, Neville Clarence resigned his Air Force commission and purchased the assets of the association. During the following year he attended various international trade shows and secured African distributorship rights with a number of leading suppliers of adaptive technology. He also visited the American Foundation for the Blind in New York and the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London where he gained a valuable insight into the use of adaptive technology in vocational settings and into computer training methods in respect of persons with visual impairments.

In 1998, after a brief period operating under the alternative name of Computer Adaptations, COMAD was renamed Neville Clarence Technologies CC with the legal status of Closed Corporation, the sole member being Neville Clarence.

In 2006 the legal status of the business changed from that of Closed Corporation to a Proprietary Limited company and is thus now known as Neville Clarence Technologies (Pty) Ltd. This change was brought about at the conclusion of a black economic empowerment (BEE) project. The new ownership structure gives the business a 60% black majority shareholding, an 80% shareholding by people with a disability and an 80% shareholding by employees.

By the end of the first quarter of 2006 the company client data base exceeded 6,800 individual and 5,400 corporate and State users throughout South Africa and in 29 other African states.

Our Mission

To serve the adaptive technology needs of people living in Africa who are blind or partially sighted. We sell to individual end-users, to employers, to the I.T. and insurance industries, to eye-care professionals, to approved agents and dealers, to government departments and educational and State institutions.

Our Objectives

* To serve as an importer and distributor of leading-edge adaptive technology.

* Where practical, to offer a choice of products which have comparable functions and features.

* To provide prompt, effective technical support.

* To provide regional demonstration and training facilities.

* To promote the creation of new job opportunities for people who are blind or partially sighted through the application of adaptive technology.

* To co-operate with competing vendors and service providers to broaden the range of products and services available to the community.

* To collect and collate relevant information pertaining to adaptive technology and to disseminate it in a suitable, accessible medium.

* To participate in seminars and technology exhibitions to promote the application of adaptive technology in the home and workpklace.

Our Business Policy

We sell to individual end-users, to employers, to the I.T. and insurance industries, to eye-care professionals, to approved agents and dealers, to government departments and to educational and State institutions. We sell to all people living in subSaharan Africa, irrespective of their age, sex, race, creed, nationality and state of health. We reserve the right however not to sell to and support individuals or organisations who are abusive, guilty of discrimination, guilty of software piracy, and who have a poor credit history. In addition we will not conduct business with individuals who attempt to bribe, who request bribes or whose conduct is illegal, unethical or considered corrupt in terms of the Law.

Our prices are based on North American recommended list prices plus importation, local taxes and a percentage to cover the cost of local warranty.

All prices exceeding U.S. $250 are subject to change without notice and must be confirmed by written Quotation prior to ordering.

We accept payment in Rands, African currencies linked to the Rand and any currency accepted by the South African Reserve Bank. This includes the U.S. Dollar, Euro, Pounds Stirling, Australian Dollar and Japanese Yen.

We accept Mastercard, Visa and American Express however such orders will be subject to a 3.5% surcharge debited to the card holder.

All official company correspondence is in English using British English spelling. Quotations and Pro Forma Invoices can however be provided in Afrikaans, French and Portuguese. We provide written and verbal support in English, Afrikaans and several indigenous African languages. A French version of our web site is being developed. Portuguese and Swahili versions are planned for the near future.

All measurements are metric except for computer monitor, LCD and video screen sizes which are in inches. Units of dimension, units of weight and performance figures are those supplied by the manufacturer but may have been converted to conform with our policy.