When Education Costs More: The Hidden Price of Learning with a Disability

Education is often celebrated as the great equalizer, the one tool that can lift individuals and entire families out of poverty, open doors of opportunity, and transform society. But for many learners with disabilities, this promise comes at a much higher price than most people realize.

The costs begin with the obvious. A student who is visually impaired may need screen readers or Braille materials, which are expensive and rarely subsidized. A learner with a mobility impairment may rely on specialized transport because public systems are inaccessible, doubling or tripling their commuting costs. Families often hire personal aides, sign language interpreters, or specialized tutors just to ensure their children can learn alongside their peers. And in some cases, when public schools are not prepared to accommodate them, parents are left with no choice but to pay higher tuition fees in private institutions.

Beyond money, there are the invisible costs. Learners with disabilities often carry the heavy burden of emotional labour, forced to repeatedly ask for accommodations that should be automatic. They spend hours reminding teachers, explaining their needs, or negotiating for basic access. This constant self-advocacy is draining, leaving little energy for the joy of learning itself. On top of that comes the sting of stigma, exclusion from extracurriculars, and the quiet isolation of being left out of group work, playgrounds, or class trips.

These barriers don’t just affect the individual student. Families sometimes have to stretch their resources thin to meet these hidden costs, impacting siblings and household welfare. In the long run, when access to quality education is denied or limited, job opportunities shrink, and cycles of poverty deepen. Society, too, pays the price losing out on the talents, innovations, and leadership of people who could contribute so much more if given a fair chance.

The truth is that learners with disabilities should not have to “pay extra” in money, time, or dignity to access what others are given as standard. Accessibility is a right, enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Article 24), affirmed in Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education, and guaranteed in Kenya’s Constitution (Article 54) and the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2025. When these commitments remain only on paper, the imbalance continues: the learner carries the cost, while the system absolves itself.

The solutions are not out of reach. Public investment in assistive technology, accessible infrastructure, and trained educators would ease the financial burden on families and caregivers. Embracing universal design for learning an approach that builds flexibility into teaching and assessment would ensure no student is left behind. Most importantly, changing cultural attitudes around disability and enforcing anti-discrimination laws would ensure that inclusion is more than a slogan.

Education with dignity should never carry a surcharge. When learners with disabilities are forced to pay more in shillings, in effort, in spirit, society is in fact taxing those it should be empowering. By making education truly inclusive, Kenya will not only honour its constitutional and global commitments but also unlock the potential of countless young minds whose brilliance is waiting to shine.

Article by: Emmanuel Brian Mbuthia