Modelling Disability Data as a Factor in Inclusive Education Reforms in Kenya

Achievement of inclusive and equitable quality education and the journey of ensuring inclusion of children with disabilities in education reforms in Kenya has been challenged by lack of centralized data on children with disabilities. In response to this, a situation analysis study was conducted to establish the current situation of data on children and learners with special needs and disabilities. The objectives of the study were to map out the available data sources of children with special needs and disabilities; Establish the currency of the available data; determine the consistency of the available data, the accessibility of the data and to propose a model of data acquisition. The study adopted a document analysis method consisting of national survey reports, statistical booklets, annual reports, and census reports between the year 2002 to 2022 (20 years). The target population was the education sector, health sector, social protection, state, and non-state actors on disability maters. The study findings revealed that the available data is not current and is fragmented. In addition, the data is not consistent between one entity and the other and that the raw data on children with disabilities is not easy to access and retrieve. A centralized data acquisition model was proposed with a component of administrative data and empirical data.