Accessibility of washrooms in bus terminals in Western Kenya to learners with physical disability

Abstract

Learners with physical disability in the western part of Kenya frequently make use of bus terminals during in the trip to and from school. Special schools attended by learners with a physical disability are few in number and far removed from the residences of most students thereby necessitating travel. Bus terminals located herein become obligatory points of passage for almost half of learners with physical disability in Kenya since seven out of thirteen special schools are located herein. This study, therefore sought to establish the accessibility of washrooms to learners with a physical disability whenever they made use of bus terminals. A cross-sectional survey design targeting 317 respondents who were sampled from a population of 1,525 was used. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires, technical measurements and observation schedules. It was established that washrooms in the study area enhanced spatial exclusion due to the presence of barriers at doorways and constricted washroom stalls.