Kenya Startup Program Puts Disabled Users in Driver's Seat

When developers usually build products for people with disabilities, they rarely ask those users what they actually need until it's too late to change much.

Innovate Now is doing the opposite. The Kenya-based accelerator just launched its largest cohort yet with 19 startups, and every single one must put persons with disabilities at the center of their design process from the very first prototype.

The need is massive. About 200 million people across Africa need at least one assistive product, but most can't access them. Imported devices cost too much, and products designed in other countries often don't work with local infrastructure or daily realities.

Innovate Now's "Live Labs" model brings users into the room when products are still rough sketches. People with disabilities test early versions, point out problems, and help shape what the final product becomes before it ever hits the market.

"At Innovate Now, building with persons with disabilities at the centre is not optional, it is essential," said Bernard Chiira, founder of Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust, which runs the program. "It ensures the solutions are not only innovative, but truly relevant, accessible, and affordable."

A recent three-day hackathon brought developers, students, and persons with disabilities together to build from scratch. Fifteen projects emerged, with ten moving into an eight-month incubation program alongside nine other selected startups.

One standout is Chacha, an AI platform helping children improve speech through real-time feedback and guided exercises. Founder Peninah Gituku said working directly with caregivers completely changed her approach.

"Caregivers helped us see where frustration actually lives in daily routines," Gituku explained. "We're not replacing speech therapy, we're designing something that supports it."

The platform targets kids up to age eight with mild speech challenges, offering exercises shaped by input from both caregivers and therapists for home settings where formal therapy is scarce or unaffordable.

Mary, a caregiver who tested products during the program, felt the difference immediately. "The fact that the team asked about my day-to-day reality before writing more code made me feel seen and heard," she said.

The Ripple Effect

Since 2019, Innovate Now has supported 88 assistive technology ventures and engaged over 200 founders across 10 cohorts. Those startups have now reached more than 40,000 users across Africa.

Even better, 40% of those startups have brought actual products to market, while 38% have secured funding through grants and awards. That's real traction in a sector where good intentions often don't translate to real solutions.

The program proves that when you design with people instead of for them, you build things that actually work.