Expanding access to disability-inclusive rehabilitation services in Kenya

In Kenya’s Embu County, many persons with disabilities remain out of reach of the essential services they need—rehabilitation, inclusive education, and economic opportunities. For families already facing financial hardship, the lack of accessible, local services adds an additional layer of exclusion.

CBM, with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has launched a comprehensive four-and-a-half-year project to change this. In partnership with the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK), and with strong support from the Embu County Government, the Access Project aims to build long-term, sustainable systems that embed disability inclusion into mainstream service delivery.

The project focuses on Mbeere South and Runyenjes sub-counties, home to over 370,000 people, an estimated 4.4% of whom live with a disability. These communities currently face major gaps in access to rehabilitation and inclusive education.

Despite policy commitments and constitutional guarantees, access to rehabilitation in Kenya remains uneven and under-resourced — especially in rural areas. Most persons with physical impairments, for instance, lack assistive devices such as wheelchairs or orthotic supports.

In Embu, 4.4% of the population lives with a disability. Yet, access to care is hindered by long travel distances and a lack of resources, with only two public facilities offering rehabilitation services and only 45 rehabilitation professionals in the local workforce. The result: long travel times, high out-of-pocket costs, and overcrowded referral centres.

For children with disabilities, these system gaps translate into lower school enrolment, missed learning milestones, and, ultimately, limited participation in society and the economy. Without inclusive school environments and trained teachers, families are often left to navigate alone.

CBM’s Access Project responds to these realities with a multi-sector approach that strengthens existing public services, embeds disability-responsive systems at community level, and supports persons with disabilities to participate fully in education, health, and livelihoods.

Our approach: Strengthening what exists

Rather than building parallel structures, CBM works within Kenya’s devolved county systems to improve the reach and quality of care. Through the Access Project, we are supporting:

• Thirteen public health facilities to integrate rehabilitation into primary healthcare, equipped with essential tools, supplies, and trained staff.
• Education Assessment Resource Centres (EARCs) in each sub-county, strengthened with new equipment and accessible infrastructure to assess and place children with disabilities into schools.
• Fifty community-based groups, including self-help and savings groups, to engage in inclusive livelihoods such as agri-business and local enterprise.

The project also invests in the people who make the system work: community health volunteers, disability champions, school leaders, and local government staff. Training and mentoring are key elements of CBM’s capacity-building approach, ensuring local ownership and long-term sustainability.

The Access Project services will meet people where they are. Mass community outreach and household screenings will identify children and adults with disabilities — many for the first time. Those needing follow-up support will be referred to local health centres or educational services, with new coordination tools and tracking systems to follow through on care.

Peer groups and local service networks will provide continuity for those needing long-term support. Health workers and caregivers will be trained in home-based care and early intervention, improving outcomes over time and reducing reliance on distant referral hospitals.

In parallel, the project is creating space for families and persons with disabilities to participate directly in the development process. From parent support groups to representation in local agriculture planning committees, the Access Project reinforces inclusion as a governance principle.

Leveraging what works

CBM brings over 40 years of partnership with APDK to this initiative. Together, we have supported disability inclusion across Kenya — in health, education, and livelihoods. This new project draws on that experience, scaling up what works and refining what needs to improve.

The project aligns with Kenya’s Vision 2030, the Ministry of Health’s National Rehabilitative and Assistive Technology Strategy, and global goals such as the WHO’s Rehab 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also builds on CBM’s wider strategy in Kenya, where we currently support projects across 18 counties in inclusive health, education, and humanitarian response.