5 Kenyan Laws that Guarantee the Rights of Persons With Disabilities
Persons with Disabilities in the country often face discrimination. Some do not know what rights they are entitled to. Article 54 of the Kenyan Constitution 2010 outlines five rights that persons with disabilities are entitled to.

Kenyan Disability Laws (Unsplash)
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1
Right to Treatment with dignity and respect
Section 1(a) of Article 54 mandates that persons with disabilities be addressed and referred to in a respectful, non-demeaning manner. This provision promotes non-discrimination against persons with disabilities on any basis. Therefore, this right obliges everyone to avoid any prejudice against persons with disabilities due to their disability.
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2
Right to Access to educational institutions and facilities for PWDs
Section 1(b) requires that educational facilities be made accessible and comfortable for persons with disabilities. It promotes the principles of accessibility, reasonable accommodation, and universal design in the development of infrastructure such as buildings.
Accessibility means that all structures should be designed to enable persons with disabilities to access them without difficulty. This includes features like wheelchair ramps, elevators, and handrails.
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3
Right to Reasonable access to all places, public transport, and information
Section 1(c) of Article 54 requires the government to ensure that public infrastructure, such as buildings and roads, is accessible and user-friendly for persons with disabilities. This provision promotes accessibility to facilitate ease of movement for persons with disabilities.
It also emphasizes universal design to ensure public facilities are readily accessible without requiring modification. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) defines universal design as “the design of products, environments, programs, and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.”
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4
Right to the use of sign language, braille, or other appropriate means of communication
This provision aims to ensure that persons with disabilities who have visual or hearing impairments can communicate effectively. Article 7 of the Constitution complements this right by mandating the promotion of sign language. It requires the government to “promote the development and use of indigenous languages, Kenyan Sign Language, Braille, and other communication formats and technologies accessible to persons with disabilities.”
If the National Assembly approves the Kenyan Sign Language Bill of 2023, sign language could become the country's third official language after English and Kiswahili. Already approved by the Senate, the Bill seeks to ensure that learners with hearing impairments are "taught in a manner in which they can understand and use the dominant language of instruction in the education system."
If enacted, the Bill would require all government institutions, including the judiciary, parastatals, and schools, to accommodate the use of sign language.
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5
Right to the accessibility of materials and devices to overcome constraints arising from the person’s disability.
Article 54 (1) (e) of the Kenyan Constitution entitles persons with disabilities to the accessibility of assistive devices to become as independent as possible. Such assistive devices include crutches, wheelchairs, and hearing aids.