Children with Disabilities’, their Parents’ and Teachers’ Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Disability Inclusive ECDE in 2 Sites in Kenya || Reporting the results of the second round of focus group discussions and interviews in Homa Bay and Kakuma

This report present findings from the second phase of participatory qualitative research for a project in Kenya which is aiming to develop understanding and practice of disability inclusive early child development and education (IECDE). The research was carried out with a small team of nine people with disabilities who were involved as ‘peer researchers’, working with the support of a Kenyan consultant to undertake the focus group discussions and interviews with children, parents and teachers in the two districts which are very different from each other.

The project in Kenya (known as Task Order 20) is part of the Disability Inclusive Development (DID) programme which is a large disability programme funded by the UK government (FCDO), aiming to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Task Order 20 is trailing the IECDE approach in nine schools, six in Homa Bay county and three in Kakuma refugee camp and host community in Turkhana county. A consortium of partners: Sightsavers, Humanity and Inclusion (HI), Sense International (and for the early years of the project also Leonard Cheshire International), local organisations of people with disabilities (OPDs) and Kenyan government agencies at local and national level, have worked together with the schools to consult, provide training (e.g. for teachers and parents) and awareness raising in the community and with educationalists in Kenya responsible for training and curriculum about inclusion and how it can be promoted and rolled out locally and then potentially nationally.