INFLUENCE OF CAPACITY BUILDING OF ACADEMIC TEACHING STAFF IN MAINSTREAMING DISABILITY INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

This study focused on academic teaching staff effectiveness in mainstreaming disability interventions for students with special needs in public universities in Kenya; a case of the University of Nairobi. University of Nairobi (UoN), like most public universities, has a disability mainstreaming policy, as a requirement and a performance indicator of the Government of Kenya, in accordance with Kenya's Persons with Disability Act (2003) and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2007), where all Government institutions are required to mainstream disability in their functions and operations. Thus, the university, UoN admits students with varying special needs. This study aimed at investigating how the academic teaching staff has been sensitized and in-serviced in knowledge, skills, and attitudes that can enable them to interact effectively with students living with disabilities in the teaching- learning process. The question is, how many of the professionally trained teaching staff is acquainted with skills, and knowledge of handling and interacting with students living with different types of disability in public universities? The objectives of the study focused on examining the awareness level of academic staff on disability policy interventions, teaching strategies applied by academic teaching staff, utilization of resources and assessment procedures in lessons where there were students with disabilities. The findings of this study were meant to inform university disability policy and practice, identify gaps in the implementation of disability interventions for students with disability and identify further opportunities and practice in-servicing of academic teaching staff in knowledge, skills, and attitudes in handling students living with different disabilities. A case study design was employed, and the study targeted undergraduate and postgraduate students with disabilities. The questionnaire, interview schedule, focus group discussions, observation, and document analysis guide were key tools for data collection. A sample size of 250 academic staff members and 800 students was drawn from the target population of 68,000 students, 2,500 academic staff, and 5,400 administrative and technical staff respectively. Stratified random sampling was employed where students were divided into two strata; those with a disability and those without a disability. All those with a disability were purposively selected for the study and those without a disability a 50% rule was applied.