Gov't Officials Trained on New Disability Act to Accelerate Inclusive Public Service Delivery
News Updated: 14 November 2025 15:13 EAT
PHOTO COURTESY NCPWD/FACEBOOK
The National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) recently concluded a critical three-day training session aimed at preparing government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) for the comprehensive implementation of the landmark Persons with Disabilities Act, 2025.
The workshop was designed to enhance the capacity of Disability Mainstreaming Units (DMUs) across the public sector.
The focus was on translating the new, rights-based legislation into actionable and inclusive policies, marking a definitive shift towards a barrier-free and equitable society as mandated by the new Act.
The training delved into three core areas of compliance under the new legislation, which expands significantly on the former 2003 Act and aligns Kenya's laws with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
A major pillar of the 2025 Act is enforcing digital empowerment and accessibility. The training stressed that all government online services, websites, and applications must be designed to be fully usable by persons with disabilities, particularly those who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers.
The Act requires public institutions to adopt the principle of "accessibility by design," ensuring that new digital infrastructure is inclusive from its inception, thereby ending the historic exclusion of persons with disabilities from the rapidly digitizing public sphere.
Furthermore, the workshop covered the stringent requirements for making all public services and the physical environment fully accessible. This extends beyond simple physical ramps to encompass Universal Design principles for buildings, public transport, and infrastructure, ensuring access to all.
MDAs were trained on providing services in accessible formats, such as materials in Braille, accessible document formats, and the provision of qualified Kenya Sign Language interpreters in service delivery points, in line with the Act's provisions for reasonable accommodation.
The new legislation also reinforces the 5% employment quota for persons with disabilities in the public service and expands the definition of reasonable accommodation in the workplace, explicitly classifying the failure to provide it as a form of discrimination.
Finally, MDAs were tasked with developing clear strategies to dismantle systemic and attitudinal barriers.
This involves mandatory awareness-raising and sensitization campaigns to combat stereotypes and prejudices, as stipulated in the new act.
Crucially, the training emphasized the importance of collecting accurate and comprehensive disability data to ensure persons with disabilities are visible in all development planning and resource allocation, making their needs central to policy decisions.
SOURCE: NCPWD
Tags: NCPWD Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities Editor's Pick Pwds
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Selestine Nyongesa
Experienced and versatile writer, dedicated to using my exceptional writing and editing skills to inform and advocate. My work focuses on educating and entertaining readers on a range of topics, with a particular expertise in matters of disability.