ffect of Technology on Participation of Disabled Persons in Public Decision-Making Processes: A Case of Turkana County, Kenya

Technology makes it easier for people with impairments to integrate and participate. But in their particular countries, people with disabilities regularly face exclusion from taking part in public decision‐making. The goal of this study was to assess how technology has affected the participation of people with disabilities in public decision‐making within the Turkana County Government. The study used an explanatory research methodology and had 212 state and non‐state actors as its target population in Turkana County. Using Yamanesʹ formula, a sample size of 139 respondents was drawn from a population of 212 people for the study. Self‐administered structured questionnaires were used to collect the data for this research investigation. Using SPSS version 25.0, the data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential techniques. The information was displayed in tabular form. According to the study, technology was responsible for 40.6% of the variation in the level of public input into the Turkana County Governmentʹs decision‐making processes. A highly significant F‐statistic (F= 74.437, p<0.05) revealed that this link was statistically significant. The publicʹs ability to participate in Turkana County Government decision‐making is significantly impacted by technology. The findings back up efforts to increase public involvement in decision‐making by people with disabilities through various public and private sector stakeholders. Investment in technical tools that enable people with disabilities to overcome their limitations and actively participate in democratic processes should be a top priority for both state and non‐state actors.