Hope for the handicapped

Ahmed Ali is one of the 3.4 per cent of Egyptians who are handicapped. He stands confidently in front of his audience, making certain signs known as deaf and dumb language.Through an interpreter, Ali says: "Handicapped people don't have the same rights as normal people, but I am happy that all the authorities concerned are gathering here to come up with a law to preserve our rights.” His audience nod their approval.Sunday was 'Disability Dialogue Day' in Egypt and it marked the beginning of the cooperation between the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the United Nations Development Programme in Egypt, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Labour Organisation (WLO) and UNICEF. The purpose of this cooperation was to come up with a new law for the disabled, to safeguard their rights in the community. This law will mainly depend on four things, according to its advocates. Firstly, it will reflect the international agreement for the preservation of the rights of the handicapped. Secondly, it will focus on developing activities for handicapped people. Thirdly, it will call for a trial project to serve them. Last but not least, the plan is for increasing media awareness about the rights of the handicapped. "We need to make a dependable, logical framework," said Hannan el-Guindy, who presented the integrated programme to promote the rights of persons with disabilities'. “The general awareness will be driven from the media,” she added.Normal people should be aware that disabled people are equal to them; just because they have some kind of disability, it doesn't mean that they should be treated differently.Disabled people should not be treated with pity but in a respectable way, both for their 'abilities' and 'thoughts'. They should live in a community of equality. There is an Egyptian law, which says that 5 per cent of the workforce in any company should be consist of handicapped people, but this law isn't activated uniformly.Some ministries give salaries to handicapped people without actually letting them work, making them stay at home instead, say rights activists. "There are some ideas among the community that should be changed," said Ali el-Meselhi, Minister of Social Solidarity. "We need to make society realise that 'giving a service' should mean 'giving people their rights'.” The purpose of the Child Law is to protect children. This law was passed after the opinions and studies of many authorities and associations had been taken into account, as well as children's opinions. "Strategy on its own isn't enough. As well as strategy, we need effort, co-operation and a very clear goal,” stressed el-Meselhi.