Presentation at the East Africa Communication Association Conference
EACA 2026: CAMRED research team explores disability representation on YouTube in Kenya: negotiating stereotypes and counter-narratives. Research presented at the 16th East African Communication Association Annual Conference examines digital self-representation, agency, and disability stereotypes.
Who gets to tell the disability story? Kenyan YouTubers are rewriting the narrative
The CAMRED research team examining disability representation on YouTube in Kenya presented its work at the 16th East African Communication Association (EACA) Annual Conference, held at St Paul’s University, Limuru, from 26 to 28 August 2026. The conference theme was “Reimagining Communication in Africa: AI, Media Innovation and Global Collaboration.”
The study, “Disability Representation on YouTube in Kenya: Negotiating Stereotypes and Counter-Narratives,” explores how creators with disabilities use digital platforms to tell their own stories and challenge familiar media portrayals that position persons with disabilities as helpless victims or as extraordinary “superheroes.”
Looking beyond traditional media narratives
With smartphones, cameras, and internet access, creators can publish content without depending entirely on traditional media gatekeepers. YouTube offers opportunities for persons with disabilities to decide what to share, how to frame their experiences, and which parts of their identities to foreground. The research asks how this creator-led storytelling constructs disability and negotiates established stereotypes.
The study used a comparative qualitative approach, examining 12 publicly available videos: three from each of four Kenyan YouTube channels. The cases were Brian Muchiri, Eve Kibare (Blind Girl Experience), Julio Supercharge, and Sammy Brayo. Their content spans personal vlogs, relationships, dance, travel, car culture, music, and art.
Three insights from the study
1. Creators reclaim narrative authority
In institutionally produced stories, journalists and editors often determine which aspects of a person’s experience are shown. On YouTube, creators can become the hosts and interpreters of their own stories. Brian Muchiri, for example, speaks about his wheelchair when he chooses, while also sharing stories about marriage and travel. This shift from being spoken about to doing the speaking is an important expression of agency.
2. Agency does not require doing everything alone
The research challenges the idea that independence means never receiving assistance. Brian’s travel experiences and Eve Kibare’s participation in dance classes show that support and collaboration can coexist with personal decision-making. The key question is whether the creator retains control over their actions and how those experiences are represented.
3. Everyday achievement should not become a “superhero” story
The study cautions against treating every achievement by persons with disabilities as exceptional simply because of disability. Julio’s car reviews and Safari Rally experience, and Sammy Brayo’s music and art, can be understood as expressions of expertise, interests, and creativity, not only as inspirational feats.
What the 12 videos revealed
The analysis identified incapability themes in 4 of the 12 videos and victimisation themes in 2. Dehumanisation was not identified in the sample. Supercrip representation appeared across all 12 videos, although its intensity varied: it was strongest in Sammy Brayo’s videos and weakest in those featuring Brian Muchiri and Eve Kibare.
The creators’ identities were also intersectional. The videos presented them through interests and roles such as education, farming, friendship, marriage, filmmaking, communication work, dance, music, art, travel, and car enthusiasm. Disability was salient, but rarely stood alone as an identity.
Research presented at EACA 2026
The conference programme lists the paper under John Ndavula in Day One, Parallel Session 1F, Session 2, scheduled for 15:00 to 16:00 on Wednesday, 26 August 2026 (printed programme, page 19).
A contribution to inclusive communication
The research contributes to wider discussions about digital media, inclusion, and who has the power to shape public narratives. It also recognises that creator control does not automatically guarantee inclusive representation: platform conventions, audience expectations, cultural narratives, and resource constraints can continue to shape what creators produce.
The study’s central argument is that inclusive self-representation is not simply about positive imagery or the absence of stereotypes. It involves narrative authority, interdependent agency, intersectionality, and the contextualised representation of disability.
Ultimately, the question of who gets to tell the disability story is also a question of power and ownership. The creators examined in this study demonstrate how digital spaces can enable persons with disabilities to move beyond being the subjects of other people’s stories and become active authors of their own.
About the research team
- Catalin Brylla (PhD) - Bournemouth University
- John Ndavula (PhD) - Murang’a University of Technology
- Jackline Lidubwi (PhD) - Africa Nazarene University
- Kevin A. Nayema - University of Nairobi