Gov’t approves fund to help people with disabilities

CAIRO – 9 May 2019: The Egyptian Cabinet has approved the final draft of a bill to establish a fund for the support of people with disabilities with a public legal personality under the supervision of the Prime Minister.

The draft law states that the purpose of the fund is to provide protection, care and social development to people with disabilities as stipulated by Law no. 10/2018 to provide the necessary economic, health, educational and training support to aid people with disabilities.

The bill also stipulates that the Fund, in coordination with concerned authorities, civil society organizations and the private sector, should provide care and support in all aspects of life for people with disabilities, such as scholarships for schools, institutes and universities.

This also includes compensating prosthetic devices, covering the cost of disability-related surgery for the uninsured, providing scholarships at home and abroad, establishing disability care institutions and covering their operating costs.

The fund comes within the initiative launched by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to support those challenged with a disability by providing numerous efforts and decisions to assure them proper living conditions.

Sisi issued law no. 10 for year 2018 on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on February 20, after being approved by the parliament.

The new law offers many commitments by the government to persons with disabilities following implementation of the new law; including Non-discrimination due to disability, or gender of the person with disabilities. And to ensure real equality in the enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in all fields, Respect their choices and how they express them by their own independent will, the right of persons with disabilities and their families to obtain all information that concerns them from all sectors.

The law also says that persons with disabilities shall exercise the right to education, learning, work and recreation, and in the use of public facilities and services. The right of the disabled to receive a combination of salary and pension, and the obligation to create all facilities in the country for the disabled, Adding to providing a safe environment for persons with disabilities, and not being subjected to economic, political or commercial exploitation, violence, abuse, torture, abuse, neglect, negligence, humiliating treatment or affecting any of their rights.

Moreover, article 81 of Egypt's 2014 constitution states: "The State shall guarantee the health, economic, social, cultural, entertainment, sporting and educational rights of persons with disabilities strive to provide them with job opportunities, allocate a percentage of job opportunities to them, and adapt public facilities and their surrounding environment to their special needs.

Seven other articles in the 2014 constitution also directly and indirectly address persons with disabilities, protecting their rights to equal health care, employment, education, political participation, and social inclusion.