Kenya
This page features the news on disability from Kenya in the Debrief Library. See also news from other countries.
Contents
Accessibility and Design
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Inclusive Infrastructure Case Study of Nairobi. (Nov, AT2030)
The nightmare of living with a disability in Nairobi, discusses accessibility and transport. (Sep, The Standard)
Assistive Technology
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Self-taught Kenyan cousins invent bio-robotic prosthetic limbs. (Jan, Mail&Guardian)
Civil Society and Community
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A new book: Disability and Social Justice in Kenya Scholars, Policymakers, and Activists in Conversation. “Kenya has been on the forefront of disability activism and disability rights since the middle of the twentieth century.” (Michigan Publishing)
Profile of John Wambua of the United Disabled Persons of Kenya. (Mar, Inclusive Futures)
Climate Crisis and Environment
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Include persons with disability in climate action plans (Jan, The Standard)
Communication and Language
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Sign Languages
Deaf Persons Open A Centre To Promote Use Of Kenya Sign Language. (Mar, Kenya News Agency)
Govt Offices to Start Using Sign Language in New Law (Jan, Kenyans)
Braille
Feature on the Kenya Institute of Special Education's work on Braille. (Jan, Star)
Culture, Entertainment and Media
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Overview
Short video feature on Julia Ayen a Refugee artist “proving to the world that disability is not inability” (Jun, Citizen TV Kenya)
Media
Interview with Alan Herbert “a Kenyan journalist, social inclusion advocate, and behavior change communications professional.” (Feb, Disability Rights Flordia)
Digital Accessibility and Technology
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Report Highlights Increased Usage of Mobiles (May, Global Accessibility News)
Disaster Risk Reduction and Crisis Response
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We have ignored the plight of persons with disabilities (Apr, Nation)
Economics and Social Protection
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Overview
What are the additional costs of living to people with disabilities? (Feb, Development Pathways)
Social Protection
Social protection for disability inclusion in Kenya See also synthesis paper that compares Uganda and Kenya. (Dec, Inclusive Futures)
Education and Childhood
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Recommendations from a research study on inclusive education and assistive technology: “tax exemption on assistive technology would contribute to the development of education targeting learners with disabilities.” (Feb, NewTimes)
Feature on ANDY's work to promote early childhood education for children with disabilities. (Jan, KBC Channel)
Task-force must address state of disability rights in schools (Nov, Irungu Houghton)
Youth with disabilities decry costly learning equipment (Jun, The Star)
Are ALL Our Children Learning Uwezo Learning Assessment 2021 "1 in 5 girls with disability dropped out of school due [to] Covid-19 enforced schools' closure". (Feb, Usawa Agenda)
Employment, Business and Work
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Capability-sensitive principles for assistive technology to support young graduates with disabilities in Bangladesh and Kenya into employment. (Jul, Journal of International Development)
New $6 million Inclusive Futures programme launched which "aims to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities, particularly women, and improve labour rights at two large Kenyan companies. " (Mar, Inclusive Futures)
Unemployment in women with psychosocial disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from Tana River County. "We found that the pandemic worsened their experiences of work and employment, and they did not receive any social welfare or support from the government." (Feb, Journal of International Development)
Safaricom in partnership to offer internships for People with Disabilities (Feb, KBC)
Business as Unusual Disability inclusion practices of private sector employers. (Dec, Kenya Business and Disability Network)
Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities
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Profile of Easter Achieng (Mar, Inclusive Futures)
Humanitarian, Migrants and Refugees
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Profile of Racheal Njiru and her work as a project manager at Kakuma refugee camp. (Aug, Inclusive Futures)
Supporting people with disabilities affected by the Kenya food crisis. (Sep, QAV Global)
Stories from the Kenya Drought see also the second and third stories. (Jul, CBM UK)
A fundraising appeal to support people in Kenya paying the devastating price for a climate crisis they have done nothing to create. (CBM UK)
International Cooperation
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Myth busting: a film made by Kenya OPDs (Mar, i2i)
Short video on participation in development projects Inclusivity in Kenya Meru Inclusive Trachoma (MINT) Programme (Jan, CBM Global)
Lived Experience and Opinion
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Top 40 Under 40: feature on Patricia Mativo. (Mar, BDO)
SARAH, a short movie “The story is centered on the life of Sarah who is a pregnant woman with disability. She is unable to access health services in time because of stigmatization and discrimination she faces.” (Nov, DAYO Kenya)
Feature on Eve Kibare's story focussing on managing periods as a visually impaired woman. (Aug, Mummy Tales)
Open letter to Kenyan Disability league leaders: “When will you rise to the occasion?” Argues that so far progress has been “low-hanging fruit” and ”having a few of persons with disabilities in to the system but not yet more robust gains for the Kenyans with disabilities.” (Apr, Mugami Paul)
Citizen Reporting series features small business owner's COVID-19 story (Mar, Inclusive Futures)
Kenyan activist Ashura Michael fights for disability and gender rights (short interview, no transcript, Feb, BBC)
Mental Health
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Kenya Mental Health Investment Case 2021 Providing Evidence for the Long-Term Health, Social and Economic Benefits of Investment in Mental Health.
“Kenya has a standalone mental health policy, and efforts to review the outdated mental health act are on-going. [But] Mental health services are scarce and inaccessible, the
mental health workforce is limited, and budgetary allocation to mental health is inadequate.” (Jun, Ministry of Health)
Alienation in three parts: mental health in Kenyan women activists (Jun, ROAPE)
Policy and Rights
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Shackling of mentally ill people is unacceptable and must be stopped (Mar, The Standard)
Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Context (Mastercard Foundation)
Politics and Elections
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How Visually Impaired Kenyans Will Cast Their Votes (Jul, Kenyans.co.ke)
Blind Kenyan singer goes to court over rejected presidential candidacy. “A gospel singer who wants to be Kenya’s first disabled presidential candidate has brought a case in the country’s courts after being barred from the electoral race.” (Jun, the Guardian)
Relationships, Sex and Reproductive Rights
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Experiences of Women and Girls with Disabilities around Gender Based Violence and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights. Surveys show women and girls with disabilities having faced a form of violence and that “the perpetrators of these heinous acts are mostly people known to the victims.” (Jun, Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities)
Interventions around Menstrual Health and Hygiene Must Be Inclusive of Women and Girls with Disabilities:
“The most rarely spoken about is how menstrual product manufacturers overlook consumers with disabilities. Most sanitary pads, tampons, or menstrual cups are not a better fit for women and girls who use assistive devices or have no limbs (hands and/or legs).
For women and girls who use prosthesis legs, wheelchairs, calipers, or crutches, the sanitary pad cannot be properly kept in place, which in the process causes leakage or even worse falls off during movement. Those without hands or fingers also find it difficult to tear the packet and insert the sanitary pad into their panty or insert the tampon or menstrual cup correctly.
Availability and high cost of menstrual products pauses a challenge to women and girls with disabilities in the rural areas causing them to opt for alternative solutions such as using rags, leaves, animal skins, and even cow dung that exposes them to multiple infections.” (May, Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities)
Violence and Harassment
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Killing children with disabilities a collective stain (Oct, Nation)
Forced to Beg: a video feature on disabled children trafficked from Tanzania and made to beg in Kenya. One of the alleged ringleaders is a disabled guy himself. Distressing images. (Jun, BBC)
Water and Sanitation (WASH)
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The menstruation experiences of women and girls with disability in Kenya. Details from lived experience and policy. (Nov, Mummy Tales)