Inclusivity of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Related Policies for Persons with Disabilities in Garissa County, Kenya

Climate change adaptation policies and programmes are increasingly implemented in Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), yet the extent to which they are inclusive of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) remains insufficiently documented. This study evaluated the extent to which climate change adaptation strategies and related policies in Garissa County are inclusive of PWDs. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from 189 Persons with Disabilities using a structured questionnaire, while qualitative evidence was obtained through 15 Key Informant Interviews with government officials, representatives of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and development partners, together with one Focus Group Discussion involving eight Persons with Disabilities. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analysed thematically and integrated with the quantitative findings. Only 38.1% of respondents reported awareness of climate change programmes, while 47.1% were unaware and 14.8% were uncertain. Among respondents aware of such programmes, 89.5% reported having participated, which represented only 36.0% of the total sample. Perceptions of programme inclusivity were moderate, with mean scores ranging from 2.85 to 3.21. The lowest score concerned whether climate programmes considered the needs of PWDs (M = 2.85, SD = 1.411), while accessible information recorded the highest score (M = 3.21, SD = 1.500). Qualitative findings identified gaps in accessible communication, physical accessibility, disability-responsive planning, funding, institutional coordination, disability-disaggregated data, and enforcement. The study concludes that although disability inclusion is recognized in national and county policy frameworks, implementation remains inconsistent. Strengthening disability-responsive planning, accessible communication, budgeting, monitoring, accountability, and meaningful participation of PWDs is necessary to translate policy commitments into inclusive climate adaptation outcomes.