The Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services participates in the first session of the community dialogue for amending the Disability Rights Law.
In response to the directives of Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly regarding conducting a community dialogue with persons with disabilities, and in line with the decision to prepare the National Strategy for Persons with Disabilities 2025-2030, the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services participated in the first session of the community dialogue organized by the National Council for Persons with Disabilities.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Heba Abdel Moneim, Head of the Central Administration for Monitoring and Evaluating National Strategies and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee at the Information and Decision Support Center of the Egyptian Cabinet, and Mrs. Suhair Aziz, Acting Director of Specialized Development Services at the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services.
The session included listening to proposals from persons with disabilities and civil society organizations working in this field, with the aim of reviewing the provisions of Law No. 10 of 2018 to achieve further gains and rights for persons with disabilities.
The meeting was attended by 100 persons with disabilities and partner organizations of the Coptic Evangelical Organization in the field of disability, as well as representatives from the Egyptian Forum for Persons with Disabilities, with participants from several governorates including Cairo, Giza, Minya, Beni Suef, Sohag, Beheira, North Sinai, Marsa Matrouh, Ismailia, Menoufia, Kafr El Sheikh, and Port Said.
Dr. Rev. Andrea Zaki, President of the Evangelical Church in Egypt and President of the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, praised the role of community dialogue in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, emphasizing that the organization will continue to support community and developmental issues in cooperation with state institutions and civil society organizations to achieve social justice for all. He added: “We seek to ensure that the anticipated amendments to the law are more inclusive, reflecting the needs and aspirations of persons with disabilities in Egypt and contributing to their full integration into society.”
For her part, Dr. Iman Karim, General Supervisor of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, confirmed that community dialogue is the best approach for participation at all governorate levels, starting from the achievements made for persons with disabilities and the challenges they may face. She added: “The council works on activating the participatory approach with all relevant parties,” highlighting the importance of the recommendations from the first session of the community dialogue, which focused on educational integration and accessibility in all its forms.
