Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Disability Rights Isaac Mwaura has called for government communication systems to be redesigned to ensure persons with disabilities have equal access to public information and opportunities.
Mwaura observed that inaccessible communication excluded many persons with disabilities from important government processes, including public service recruitment, state tenders and announcements on essential services,and that is one of the reasons the president constituted the office of diversity, inclusion and disability rights.
He noted that information is a fundamental resource for participation in public life and that its accessibility should not depend on an individual’s disability.
He further emphasised that government communication must be designed to reach all citizens, rather than expecting persons with disabilities to find alternative ways of accessing information that should ordinarily be available to everyone.
To address the challenge, the Office of the Diversity, Inclusion and Disability Rights (ODIDR) is developing inclusive communication guidelines to guide government institutions in making public information accessible.
The proposed guidelines will provide for sign-language interpretation, captioning, accessible digital documents, voice narration and simplified information formats.
These measures are expected to improve access for persons with hearing, visual, intellectual and other disabilities, particularly when engaging with official government announcements, notices and digital services.
The initiative also supports President’ Ruto’s directive to reinstate disability mainstreaming as a core performance indicator across ministries, departments and agencies.
Mwaura stressed the importance of ensuring that disability inclusion is reflected not only in government policies but also in everyday communication and service delivery.
He called on institutions to embrace inclusive communication as an essential component of their operations, ensuring that no citizen is left out of important government processes because of inaccessible information.
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