Access is the first step. Empowerment is the goal.

About Access-Kenya

Access-Ken is a British Council-funded international partnership project committed to advancing intersectional disability inclusion across Kenya’s higher education landscape. Spearheaded by the University of the Built Environment (UK) in partnership with Kenyatta University, Karatina University, and academic collaborators from the UK, this initiative is driven by the urgent need to address the layered and systemic barriers that continue to marginalise students with disabilities, especially those who also experience disadvantage due to gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic background.

The Challenge

Despite policy commitments and constitutional protections, persons with disabilities in Kenya remain vastly underrepresented in higher education. According to the 2019 Kenyan Population and Housing Census, only 2.2% of the population is recorded as having a disability, a statistic widely criticised for underreporting due to stigma, narrow definitions, and data collection limitations. By contrast, the World Health Organization estimates that at least 15% of any population lives with some form of disability, suggesting that over 7 million people in Kenya may be affected (WHO, 2011).

Educational access and attainment levels for persons with disabilities reveal deep inequalities. Just 44% complete primary education, while only 17% finish secondary school figures that lag significantly behind non-disabled peers. Higher education, meanwhile, remains an elusive goal for most. This exclusion is not only about physical inaccessibility, it is the result of insufficient institutional support, a lack of inclusive learning environments, inadequate mental health services, and widespread social stigma. For women with disabilities from ethnic minority backgrounds, these issues are even more pronounced, resulting in compounded exclusion across every stage of the academic journey.

Our Response

Access-Ken offers a multi-faceted response to these entrenched challenges. The project takes a deeply inclusive, evidence-based, and collaborative approach, focusing on real-world solutions that are informed by the lived experiences of disabled students. Over the course of 12 months, the project will:

• Conduct a national survey and stakeholder workshop to gather detailed insights on the structural, academic, and emotional barriers disabled students face;

• Develop inclusive policy recommendations tailored for Kenyan higher education institutions, grounded in intersectional research;

• Launch awareness and training sessions to shift institutional mindsets and build inclusive capacities among academic and administrative staff;

• Strengthen mental health and peer support frameworks, recognising that true inclusion is not just physical but also psychological;

• Foster cross-border collaboration between Kenyan and UK partners, building a sustainable network for inclusion-focused academic transformation.

Our Vision

At its heart, Access-Ken is about more than accessibility, it is about empowerment, visibility, and justice. We believe that inclusion is not a privilege granted, it is a right that must be realised. By centring the voices of disabled students, particularly those on the margins of mainstream discourse, we aim to build learning environments where diversity is not just tolerated, but actively supported, valued, and celebrated. Through data, dialogue, and determined action, Access-Ken seeks to dismantle systemic barriers and help shape a higher education system in Kenya that truly works for all.

Join Us

Together, we can create a future where universities are not just places of learning, but spaces of belonging. Whether you're a student, educator, policymaker, or ally, there’s a role for you in this movement.

Explore our work. Share our findings. Be part of the change.

Empowering Inclusion Together

We champion disability inclusion through collaborative projects, inclusive workshops, and impactful research working towards a higher education system where everyone belonough projects, workshops, and publications for a better society.

Our Projects

Explore our initiatives focused on enhancing disability inclusion in Pakistan and beyond.

Team Members

Meet our dedicated team working tirelessly to promote disability rights and inclusion.

Join our workshops to learn about disability inclusion and share valuable insights with others.

Workshops

Why It Matters

Inclusion is not charity, it’s justice.

At Access-Ken, we believe that inclusion is not about accommodation, it’s about transformation. We're reimagining higher education as a space where every student, regardless of ability, gender, or background can access, participate, and thrive. This project is a step toward a future where campuses in Kenya are not only physically accessible but also socially inclusive, emotionally safe, and intellectually empowering.

Get Involved

Whether you’re a student navigating the challenges of university life, a lecturer striving to create inclusive classrooms, a policymaker shaping the future of education, or a passionate advocate, there’s a place for you in this movement.

Attend our workshops and learning sessions
Collaborate with our research team
Help amplify stories and share our findings with your networks

Contact us to explore how you can contribute to advancing disability inclusion in Kenyan higher education.

Explore Our Resources

Throughout the project, we’ll be publishing practical, accessible tools and insights designed to support real change:

🔹 Inclusive training modules for universities
🔹National survey results and needs assessment findings
🔹Actionable policy recommendations tailored to the Kenyan context
🔹 Open-access research publications

Visit our PUBLICATIONS page to stay updated and download tools that can help you build a more inclusive institution, starting today.