Kambui School for the Deaf

Key Impact Summary

Since May 2025, inABLE’s AI Live Captioning program at Kambui School for the Deaf has expanded access to classroom instruction for learners who are deaf or hard of hearing. By converting spoken instruction into real-time captions, the program enables learners to follow lessons more independently, participate with greater confidence, and access regular exposure to written language that supports literacy development. Since its launch, the program has reached 140 learners, including 124 currently participating across Grades 5 to 9.

About Kambui School for the Deaf

Kambui School for the Deaf is located in Githunguri Sub-County, Kiambu County. Established in 1965 through the initiative of the Women’s Guild group of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, the school serves deaf and hard-of-hearing learners and is the only school in Kiambu County catering to learners with hearing impairment at ECDE, primary, junior school, and vocational levels.
The school is a boarding institution for boys and girls, with a current enrollment of 368 learners. It is run by the Board of Management on behalf of the Ministry of Education, operates under the Basic Education Act 2013, and follows programs developed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. Kambui also excels in co-curricular activities, including music, sports, and drama competitions up to national level.

The inABLE Program at Kambui

inABLE introduced the AI Live Captioning program at Kambui in May 2025 to address a critical classroom access gap for deaf learners. Before the program, learners often depended on signing, lip-reading, and written notes, which made it difficult to consistently follow spoken explanations, especially when teachers introduced new words or concepts that were difficult to sign clearly.
The program uses Google Live Transcribe, microphones, Chromebooks, and large classroom display screens to make spoken instruction readable in real time. Teachers speak naturally during lessons while captions appear on screens, enabling learners to follow explanations, ask questions, and participate more independently. Learners in classrooms without dedicated screens access the captioning technology through the computer lab and common area.

Program Reach and Measurable Impact

The AI Live Captioning program is making spoken classroom instruction more accessible in real time, supporting greater participation and technology use among learners and teachers at Kambui School for the Deaf.

• 140 learners reached since the program launched
• 124 learners aged 12 to 17 currently participating across Grades 5 to 9
• 13 teachers trained or supported
• 3,458 hours of AI Live Captioning delivered
• 9 Chromebooks deployed for use in classrooms and shared learning spaces
• 80% estimated technology adoption rate

Summary of Key Results

• Improved accessibility: learners now have real-time access to spoken classroom instruction through AI-generated captions.
• Supported literacy development: regular exposure to written captions helps learners connect spoken instruction with written text and supports reading and writing development.
• Greater confidence and participation: learners are more included in classroom discussions and activities, with stronger confidence to engage.
• Smoother lesson delivery: teachers report that captions make instruction more inclusive and reduce time spent repeating explanations.

Why This Program Matters

For deaf and hard-of-hearing learners, access to spoken classroom instruction can shape how fully they participate, understand lessons, and build confidence in school. AI Live Captioning helps close this access gap by turning speech into visible text, giving learners another pathway to follow instruction alongside sign language, lip-reading, and teacher support.

Beyond the Classroom

Kambui is becoming a promising demonstration site for inclusive education technology, showing how AI Live Captioning can make everyday classroom instruction more accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing learners.