Examining the Learning Experiences of Students with Physical Disabilities in Nairobi County's Integrated Public Secondary Schools

Despite the widespread movement toward Competency-Based Education (CBE), systemic obstacles make the approach less accessible to students with disabilities. Based on critical disability theory, this study aims to investigate students' learning experiences with mobility, visual, hearing, and other physical impairments in integrated public secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya, under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Using a qualitative instrumental case study, data were obtained from structured interviews, classroom observations, and document review with six students and four teachers. The results indicate that the mixed learning activities of CBC promote engagement, though physical inaccessibility, limited assistive devices, and urban resource constraints were obstacles to access. It is recommended that specific policy measures, such as explicit guidelines on how to adapt action-oriented blocking out instruction, improved teacher education, and infrastructural changes, are needed to further inclusivity. These guidelines aim to promote inclusive education of students with physical disabilities in Nairobi integrated schools.