The Cheshire Disability Services Kenya (CDSK) is a disability-focused local organisation and a member of Global Alliance of Leonard Cheshire Disability and a Strategic Partner Organisation (SPO) of Liliane Foundation (LF) the Netherlands.

CDSK works with a network of 55 local Partner Organisations to support 3,414 children and youngsters with disabilities in four thematic areas namely:

• Rehabilitation & Care
• Inclusive Education
• Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment
• Lobbying & Advocacy.

The project Disability Social Innovation Lab brings together a diverse team of experts from multiple sectors to co-design, prototype, test and document training and employment models for youths with intellectual and mental disabilities in Nairobi. The project is prototyping, testing, documenting and learning how peer-to-peer support networks, dual employment and co-designed inclusive learning and working spaces can be applied to solve the training and employment dilemma facing the youth with intellectual and mental disabilities in Kenya.

Specifically, the project develops and demonstrates innovations that exploit the higher dependency between youth with intellectual disabilities and their care-givers to improve the quality of care and livelihoods for the youth and their families. For mental disabilities, the project demonstrates how co-designed workspaces, dual employment and integrated employment increase access to jobs through effective and supported learning and employment models.

Solutions developed and experiences learnt will be used by CDSK and Agency for Disability and Development in Africa (ADDA) to place 100 youths with mental and intellectual disabilities in training and employment. The lessons will also be shared within the Action for Children with Disabilities (ACD) network to inform government and private sector programming for youths with mental and intellectual disabilities.