United States, Egypt Partner to Empower Students with Disabilities

CAIRO – 26 June 2022: Cairo – The United States and Egypt have expanded inclusive access to higher education by committing to open fifteen additional University Disability Service Centers across Egypt, announced the US embassy in a statement on Sunday.

 The new centers will provide services and equipment to students with disabilities and will advocate for university-wide policies.

At the signing ceremony on June 25, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Nicole Shampaine said: “Creating safe and inclusive environments for persons with disabilities is everyone’s responsibility, from officials who make laws and provide services, to the businesses that deploy the talents of workers with disabilities, to individuals from across our entire society.  Disability rights are an integral part of the United States Government’s foreign policy.  Persons with disabilities have the same rights as all people to non-discrimination, equality of opportunity, inclusion, access, and full participation in society.”

Since 2020, the U.S. Government, through USAID, has opened five University Disability Service Centers at Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, Ain Shams, and Assiut Universities to support students with disabilities.  With today’s signing, we and our partners at Amideast and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research pledge to open new centers at fifteen partner universities, for a total of 20 centers nationwide.

This program is part of USAID’s U.S.-Egypt Higher Education Initiative, a $39 million (approximately 731 million EGP) activity that has awarded 673 scholarships to disadvantaged students across Egypt to attend five top public universities in Egypt.  Forty-four of the scholarships were awarded to Egyptians with disabilities.  In addition to scholarships, students also receive academic and career counseling, English language training, and access to internships, study abroad, and job opportunities.

A press release by the US embassy in Cairo