Program
overview
The Advancing
Inclusion and Meaningful Participation of Displaced Persons with Disabilities
in Kenya
As of November 2024, Kenya hosts 819,686
registered refugees and asylum-seekers from over 20 countries, alongside
approximately 650,000 internally displaced people and many undocumented
individuals. Due to barriers and impairments worsened by displacement, the
proportion of persons with disabilities among the displaced population in Kenya
is believed to exceed the global prevalence of 16% reported by the WHO. This
mean hundreds of forcibly displaced persons with disabilities currently live in
Kenya.
Despite efforts by the Kenyan government,
UNHCR, and various organizations, their challenges remain largely unaddressed
and undocumented. In particular, their inclusion and meaningful participation
in decision-making processes continue to be overlooked.
The main objective of Advancing Inclusion and Meaningful Participation of Displaced Persons with Disabilities in Kenya, is to bridge this gap by ensuring that Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) are actively engaged in decision-making spaces at the global, regional and national levels.
The program aims to:
1. Advancing meaningful participation of displaced persons with disabilities in key decision-making processes and public platforms at local, national, regional, and international levels.
2. Identify and address barriers that hinder equal access to refugee registration, asylum applications, and the acquisition of disability certification for displaced persons with disabilities in Kenya.
3. Enhance access to legal pathways to safety for displaced persons with disabilities and ensure their rights and protection are upheld.
4. Provide technical and advisory support to OPDs and RLOs, in collaboration with key partners such as the Association of Refugees with Disabilities in Uganda (ARD), United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK), and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP).