| dc.description.abstract | Disability is a natural part of the human experience and therefore should not affect the
rights of individuals to live independently, contribute to society, enjoy full inclusion in
education and pursue a meaningful career. However, youth with disabilities (YWDs) in
Elgeyo Marakwet Kenya face socio-economic discrimination communally. Exclusion,
isolation, abuse and lack of educational opportunities exist in Elgeyo-Marakwet County,
Kenya. They do not enjoy the same human rights or equal access to goods and services
as their peers without disabilities. The main objective of this study was to assess the
influence of employment on personal development of youth with disabilities in
ElgeyoMarakwet County Kenya. Two theories, Catherine Sanderson’s (2010)
theory of sociocultural perspective and Adams Stacy’s (1965) equity theory were
studied to enable an
understanding of the influence of the socio-cultural support services on personal
development of youth with disabilities. A mixed methodology, using a triangulation
design with both quantitative and qualitative research was employed in this study to
realize the objectives. The study targeted a total population of 492 of youth with
disabilities, 320 parents of youth with disabilities in and out of school and 19 government
officers. Sample size determination formula by Krejcie and Morgan (1970) was used to
obtain the required sample of the youth with disabilities and their parents. Simple
random sampling was used to select youth with disabilities and parents while purposive
sampling was used to select government officers (key informants). A sample of 289 youth
with disabilities, 175 parents and 19 government officers were picked for the study. Data
was collected using questionnaires, interview schedule and an observation checklist. To
determine content validity of the instruments, the supervisors were presented with the
research instruments prior to the actual study. Their comments were adopted in
modifying the instruments. The reliability of the instruments was established through a
pilot study where a coefficient of Cronbach’s Alpha was determined, which was 0.741.
Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were
analysed thematically as the themes emerged. Employment contributed 19.7% to
personal development of youth with disabilities. The study recommended, among
others, funding of youth with disabilities support groups, initiating follow up support
programs for youth with disabilities and wholly focusing on services that ensure that the
‘best’ is offered to the youth with disabilities as per government’s policies. The findings
of this study may help in improving the education policy to have a focus on transition
plans for youth with disabilities after school. | en_US |
