Quotas in Egypt

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With the recent news in Egypt I’ve been thinking of those there who have or will have squired disabilities and impairments in the Middle East.

I was conscious at the time of the Egypt uprising and now the Libyan developments that with all the celebrations there would no doubt be some folks in the minority, those who would miss out on the vibe and the fun of such radical widespread cultural , political and social change. This is to say nothing of the broader, more pragmatic considerations.

I’m very keen on mainstreaming (in case you hadn’t picked that). I look for wheels in footage on ALL types of news stories.

So I looked for wheels in the coverage of Egypt. No visible impairments present. I sighed. But a quick Google produced this. The most exciting bit for me is this:

In order to ensure that the right of people with disabilities to work is respected and to guarantee that they are not discriminated against, the Egyptian law requires that the number of disabled persons hired by owners of firms with 50 or more employees should constitute no less than five percent of their workforce. The law imposes a similar quota for disabled persons to be employed in government offices and other public sector institutions, and guarantees them the same rights and privileges available to the other employees in their areas of work.

Based on what I’ve read, it’s not so much the issues of quotas that excites me, although I think it’s a discussion we need to think about having whatever the end decision. the exciting bit for me is that after rehabilitation, there is an expectation of participation. That expectation that people can will and should make a contribution held not just at an individual or community level, but at a government level will drive help inclusion in a more organic and holistic way.

Perhaps they were all busy working when the protests were on!
Good on ya

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