Plans
to make weather warnings accessible to people with disabilities./HANDOUTPeople with disabilities will soon be able to receive weather forecasts and early warning information in formats that meet their specific needs as Kenya shifts towards a more inclusive disaster preparedness system.
The Kenya Meteorological Services Authority (KMSA) is redesigning how it communicates weather alerts to ensure vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities and marginalized communities, can access and act on life-saving information before disasters strike.
Emergency alerts have overlooked the communication needs of people with disability, leaving them exposed during severe weather events.
"When a storm or flood alert is sent as standard text or a visual broadcast without screen-reader compatibility or sign language interpretation, many of us are left completely in the dark," says John Njuguna, a disability rights advocate who is visually impaired.
"We aren't just asking for information; we are asking for equal access to safety. Receiving a warning in an accessible format gives us the independence and time we need to protect ourselves and our families before disaster hits."
To bridge this gap, KMSA is expanding its communication channels to include sign language interpretation, audio-based broadcasts, screen-reader accessible digital platforms, and simplified community alerts tailored to diverse accessibility requirements. This inclusive approach ensures that timely, life-saving information reaches every citizen, empowering persons with disabilities to respond effectively when extreme weather strikes.
The move is part of WISER Action First initiative, which aims to transform weather forecasting from simply telling people what the weather will be to explaining what the weather is likely to do and the actions communities should take to reduce risks.
The initiative is a collaborative approach form UK Meteorological Office, World Meteorological Organization, NDOC and KMSA.
"We want to develop a people-centred and all-inclusive early warning system that considers gender, equity, disability and social inclusion," said Hannah Kimani, Head of Public Weather Services at the Kenya Meteorological Services Authority, and coordinator of the WISER Action First Initiative in Kenya.
She noted that weather information has traditionally been produced in formats that many people with disabilities cannot access.
"For example, someone who is blind may not be able to interpret a weather map or PDF bulletin, while a person who is deaf may miss warnings broadcast through radio," she said.
The authority has already taken initial steps through the WISER Kenya programme by producing weather forecasts in Braille for the first time last year and introducing sign language interpretation during some national climate outlook forum (NCOF).
However, officials say much more needs to be done to ensure warnings reach all the people at the community level.
“The braille was made for the seasonal forecast. The braille forecast started this year for the March-April-May 2026 forecast for Garissa and Tana Rive counties,” said Kimani.
The Action First programme, implemented across East Africa under the Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) programme, promotes collaboration between meteorologists, disaster managers, humanitarian agencies, county governments, civil society, the media and local communities in designing weather advisories.
Unlike traditional forecasting, where meteorologists determined likely impacts on their own, the new approach involves communities and different stakeholders in identifying hazards, assessing risks and agreeing on practical actions before disasters occur.
Kenya has already held national workshops bringing together the National Disaster Operations Centre, the Kenya Red Cross Society, civil society organisations, the media and government agencies to develop impact-action tables and risk matrices for priority weather hazards.
The next phase will involve piloting the approach in Kisumu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties before rolling it out nationally.
Kimani said the consultations will help tailor warnings to local realities, especially for people who lack access to television, radio, mobile phones or internet services.
"There are communities that do not own a radio or television, but that does not mean they are safe from extreme weather events. We want communities themselves to tell us the best ways to reach everyone," she said.
The initiative comes as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of floods, droughts and heat stress across Kenya. According to the World Meteorological Organization, effective early warning systems can significantly reduce disaster-related deaths and economic losses by giving communities enough time to prepare and respond.
Globally, the United Nations launched the Early Warnings for All initiative to ensure every person on Earth is protected by multi-hazard early warning systems by 2027.
Kenya's Action First programme aligns with this global goal by ensuring weather information is not only accurate but also accessible and actionable for everyone, including those most at risk.
Kimani said the authority is seeking to build on existing national disaster management structures rather than duplicate them, while continuously refining its communication methods to ensure no one is left behind.
"This is just the beginning, but our vision is to ensure everyone, including persons with disabilities and marginalised communities, can receive, understand and act on weather warnings in time," she said.
