Baseline Survey on Digital Accessibility of Government Services for Persons with Disabilities in Nairobi County, Kenya, 2021

Introduction: Ensuring equal access to digital government services is paramount in our increasingly digital age. Deliberate projects are needed to bridge the digital divide and enhance inclusivity for persons with disabilities (PWD). APDK assessed the digital accessibility context with the aim of improving accessibility, awareness, and utilisation of digital government services among PWD in Nairobi’s 11 sub-counties. This manuscript aims to disseminate our findings, including the gaps and challenges hindering the effective delivery of government services to vulnerable and marginalised citizens during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, to contribute to the ongoing discourse on digital accessibility and utility and offer valuable implications for relevant stakeholders or considerations for future applications and programming. Ultimately, our endeavour is aligned with the broader objective of fostering equity in digital accessibility, advancing knowledge, and policy improvements in ICT. Methods: This cross-sectional survey encompassed 482 participants across 11 sub-counties, employing mixed methods that included household questionnaires, 10 key informant interviews, and 10 focus group discussions. The study compared the proportions of categorical variables using the Pearson Chi-squared test. Logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with awareness and use of digital government services. Results: Among the 482 PWD, there was high ICT and internet access (99.6%), with 68.3% using the internet. However, only 23.4% of persons with disabilities had used digital government services. Awareness of digital government services varied across sub-counties, ranging from 90.5% in Kibra to a lower 56.2% in Mathare (p<0.001). Influencing factors included marital status, education, and disability type, emphasising the need for targeted awareness campaigns. Marital status, type of disability, and NCPWD registration were independently associated with awareness of digital government services. Analysis of enablers revealed varying awareness levels, with measures like sign language newscasts (86.2%) highly recognised. Qualitative data revealed that persons with disabilities face multiple barriers to accessing digital government services, including limited digital skills, poor internet connectivity, high costs, inaccessible websites, privacy concerns, and disability-specific challenges related to visual, hearing, intellectual, and physical impairments. Conclusions: While almost all persons with disabilities in Nairobi have access to Information and Communication Technology and the Internet, only a third actively use digital government services, indicating potential barriers, such as a lack of digital skills or accessibility challenges. Collaborative efforts are needed to bridge the digital divide for persons with disabilities, such as targeted awareness campaigns, digital skills training, and policy improvements.