About Access-Ken

Access-Ken: Advancing Disability Inclusion through Intersectionality in Kenyan Higher Education

Access-Ken is an ambitious, UK–Kenya partnership committed to transforming how disability is understood and addressed in higher education. Funded by the British Council under its Disability Inclusion Partnerships scheme, the project brings together leading institutions from Kenya and the UK to tackle the intersecting barriers, social, structural, and cultural that restrict access and opportunity for disabled students, especially those from marginalised gender and ethnic groups.

Why Access-Ken?

Despite Kenya’s growing commitment to inclusive education, practical progress remains limited. Infrastructure remains largely inaccessible, inclusive teaching strategies are underdeveloped, and institutional data on disability is scarce or inconsistent. For many students with disabilities, especially women, those from ethnic minorities, or lower socio-economic backgrounds, university life is shaped by exclusion, stigma, and systemic neglect. Access-Ken responds to this gap with a holistic, intersectional approach that focuses not just on disability, but on the complex identities that shape students’ experiences.

Our Objectives

Access-Ken aims to shift institutional culture, build inclusive capacity, and deliver evidence-based change. Our key objectives include:

Build Awareness and Empathy

We will deliver targeted training for faculty, staff, and students across Kenyan universities to foster understanding of intersectional disability inclusion. These sessions will dismantle misconceptions, promote inclusive attitudes, and cultivate allyship.

Conduct a National Needs Assessment

We will undertake a mixed-methods research project, surveys, focus groups, and interviews to uncover the lived experiences of disabled students in Kenya. Findings will be disaggregated by gender, disability type, ethnicity, and other factors to ensure nuanced, actionable insights.

Support Mental Health and Peer Empowerment

By launching peer-led mentoring and tailored mental health support programs, Access-Ken seeks to address the emotional and psychological dimensions of inclusion, ensuring students not only access campuses, but feel seen, safe, and supported.

Develop Scalable Policy Recommendations

Drawing on robust research and collaborative dialogue, we will produce policy guidance tailored to the Kenyan context. These recommendations will offer practical tools for universities seeking to institutionalise inclusive practices.

Our Impact

Access-Ken is designed to create multi-level impact across the academic landscape.

For Disabled Students

Hundreds of students will benefit from increased awareness, inclusive environments, and platforms for leadership and expression. Through improved support systems and visibility, students will be empowered to thrive both academically and socially.

For Higher Education Institutions

Participating universities will gain the tools, knowledge, and resources to audit their current systems and implement inclusive, intersectional strategies that outlast the project.

For National Policy and Advocacy

Access-Ken will produce open-access publications, policy briefs, and recommendations that contribute to national dialogues on disability, equity, and higher education reform in Kenya.

For International Collaboration

This project also lays the groundwork for long-term partnerships between UK and Kenyan institutions, creating a network of change-makers committed to disability inclusion and knowledge exchange across borders.

Our Partners

Access-Ken is led by the University of the Built Environment (UK), working in close partnership with:

• Kenyatta University

• Karatina University

• University of Plymouth (UK)

With support from our associate partners:

• University of Embu

• Northumbria University

This multi-institutional team combines expertise from education, architecture, community development, policy research, and construction, ensuring an interdisciplinary, inclusive response to the challenge of disability exclusion.

A Path Forward

Access-Ken is more than a project, it is a platform for transformation. It envisions a future where disabled students are not marginalised or accommodated as an afterthought, but are recognised as leaders, experts, and co-creators of inclusive universities.

Through research, capacity building, and advocacy, Access-Ken strives to make disability inclusion a central pillar of Kenya’s higher education system.

We invite you to follow our journey, explore our findings, and stand with us in building a more inclusive academic future for all.