Disability inclusion refers to the meaningful participation and integration of individuals with disabilities into all aspects of society, ensuring that they have equal access to opportunities, resources, and services. According to the United Nations, disability inclusion is about creating societies where all people – regardless of how they move, communicate, think or interact – can participate equally. The United Nations has urged nations to devise targeted disability inclusion strategies.
On August 2025, the Government of Kenya in collaboration with 71 organizations from civil society, the private sector, development partners, and the United Nations, launched the Joint Disability Inclusion Strategy (2025–2027). The strategy is grounded in the Persons with Disabilities Act 2025 and aligned with the global UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS). The Persons with Disabilities Act 2025 guarantees the rights of persons with disabilities to education, employment, healthcare, political participation, and access to buildings and public spaces. It promotes inclusion, strengthens legal frameworks, and ensures greater access to justice and economic safeguards. The Act also emphasizes the use of dignified language and mainstreaming disability considerations into all aspects of government and public life.
The Joint Disability Inclusion Strategy (2025–2027) is guided by the following nine principles: Respect for inherent dignity and individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and the independence of all persons in the conduct of their private affairs; Equality and non-discrimination; Full and effective participation and inclusion in society; Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity; Equality of opportunity; Accessibility; Access to information; Equality between men and women; Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disability and respect for the rights of children with disabilities to preserve their identities.
The Joint Disability Inclusion Strategy (2025–2027) is built on five pillars. The first pillar is economic empowerment. This pillar focusses on promoting employment, market access, entrepreneurship, volunteerism opportunities, financial inclusion and independence for persons with disabilities. Key commitments under this pillar include strengthening employment inclusion for persons with disabilities through a three-year action plan, annual monitoring, awareness programmes for 400 employers and 10,000 employees, improving the NCPWD Career Portal, reserving 5% jobs, and expanding social protection systems by 2027–2028. The second pillar is Access to Facilities and Services, emphasizing the improvement of physical infrastructure, healthcare, education, and public services to ensure accessibility and inclusivity.
The third pillar is Data and Statistics, aimed at strengthening systems for data collection, management, and utilization to inform evidence-based policymaking and program design. The fourth pillar is Political Empowerment, which seeks to enhance leadership and participation of persons with disabilities in governance, democracy, and decision-making processes. Key commitments under this pillar are enhancing political inclusion by establishing an enforcement mechanism to achieve 5% participation of persons with disabilities by 2026, reviewing nomination procedures through OPDs by 2027, and providing civic education to 10,000 persons with disabilities in marginalized counties.
The fifth pillar is Digital Empowerment, focusing on expanding access to assistive technologies and digital platforms to create more opportunities and improve services for persons with disabilities. Under this pillar, Kenya had committed to invest USD 5 million with AT-Scale to expand assistive technology access for 275,000 persons with disabilities by 2027, ensure comprehensive rehabilitation and free medical assessments, abolish reassessments for permanent disabilities, and digitize medical assessment and registration processes by 2029.
The Strategy is pivoted around the Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability And Quality (AAA-Q) framework. This framework brings a comprehensive outlook on disability inclusion by addressing accessibility from five perspectives: physical, social, financial, information and administrative access.
Highlighting the significance during the launch of the Kenya’s Joint Disability Inclusion Strategy (2025–2027), Joseph Motari, Principal Secretary for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs in Kenya stated: “As Government, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening coordination across ministries, counties, and partners, ensuring that budgets are responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities, enforcing legislation and advancing progressive reforms, and promoting collaboration, accountability, and feedback from the disability community. Together, we are building an inclusive Kenya where no one is left behind.”
