Disability Is Not a Tragedy: Rethinking Inclusion in Kenya

Anyone who has spent a day on the streets of Nairobi knows exactly how this plays out. A person with a disability is either pitied or placed on a pedestal for doing everyday things. There’s rarely anything in between. And honestly, that is part of the problem. I work in disability inclusion, but more than that, I am tired of seeing people reduced to labels. It is time we move past them.

The late activist Stella Young challenged this idea directly. She called it out for what it is, a story we have been told for far too long that objectifies disability. She introduced the term "inspiration porn" to describe how society uses the lives of persons with disabilities as motivational tools for others. Young argued that we have been sold a lie about disability. She stated, "we have been sold the lie that disability is a Bad Thing... and to live with disability makes you exceptional". This perspective is particularly relevant in the Kenyan context, where the "charity model" often overshadows the "rights-based approach."

Let’s pause and think about this. Someone using a wheelchair shows up to work, and suddenly they are called “Inspirational”. But what we do not see is what it took to get there. Maybe the Matatu conductor hesitated to even let them in. Maybe the road was so badly off that it made movement a huge challenge for them, maybe the building has no lift. I remember standing on Moi Avenue, I saw someone struggle to access a building because there was no lift. People just walked past him. It hit me then, nobody was questioning the building’s design, they were likely just pitying the man. That is the frustration right there. So, that kind of praise might sound positive but it actually hides the real problem. It shifts attention away from the barriers that should not exist in the first place.

quoting Young directly, "I want to live in a world where we value genuine achievement for disabled people". We must distinguish between the "achievement" of existing and the actual professional or personal contributions made to society.

At EnableMe Kenya, we lean into what is called the Social Model of Disability, and It changes how you see everything. It starts with a simple but powerful idea. People are not the problem.

A person who uses a wheelchair is not "confined" to it; they are empowered by it, It gives them mobility. The real limitation shows up when there is no ramp, no lift, or no accessible transport. Young’s humor hit this home perfectly, "no amount of smiling at a flight of stairs has ever made it turn into a ramp". This means going beyond awareness and looking at enforcement. We have the Persons with Disability Act on paper, sure. But walk into any random office block in CBD and tell me: where is the ramp in most of the buildings? Where is the real world enforcement?

So real inclusion shows up in practical things. Accessible buildings, inclusive hiring, reliable transport, and policies that are actually enforced, not just written down. What does it look like in practice? Let’s start with language. Words like “victim” or “suffering” take away dignity. Instead, say, or “a person with a disability”. Small changes that matters a lot. Next, question the environment. If someone is being called “brave” for showing up, ask yourself, what barriers did they have to overcome just to be there? . We should also push for accessibility where it counts.

Whether it’s offices, schools, or public transport. Inclusion should be standard not an exception. And most importantly, we need to normalize presence. Persons with disabilities belong in every space, business, tech, education, entertainment and leadership, without it being treated as something unusual. If we are serious about inclusion, then we have to rethink more than just our words, we have to rethink our expectations.

As Stella Young concluded, "disability doesn't make you exceptional, but questioning what you think you know about it does". No one is trying to be a symbol. People just want to live their lives, move, work and contribute without unnecessary barriers.

Wakurugenzi, what is one barrier you have personally seen or experienced in your community recently? Let us talk about it in the comments, this will not only help me get your point of perspectives but also encourages me to do more of these pieces for you.

Article by: Emmanuel Brian Mbuthia