Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour signed cooperation protocols with the AMIDEAST organisation for establishing centres to serve students with disabilities at seven public universities. The centres will be set up at the universities of Minya, Benha, Matrouh, Menoufiya, Port Said, Aswan, and Kafr Al-Sheikh.
Sherine Yehia, ministerial advisor for students with disabilities, explained that the protocols represent the third phase of a project to support differently abled university students nationwide. The first phase includes the creation of five centres for students with disabilities at five public universities: Cairo, Ain Shams, Alexandria, Mansoura, and Assiut. The second phase involves the establishment of 15 centres at the public universities of Helwan, Tanta, Zagazig, Suez Canal, Beni Sweif, and South Valley. This will bring the total number of centres to 27 across the country’s public universities.
Yehia noted that the government has already established centres in the first and second phases which are funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). “Third-phase centres will be launched at the beginning of next year,” Yehia said.
The centres, according to Adel Abdel-Ghaffar, the spokesman of the minister of higher education and scientific research, provide comprehensive support to students with disabilities, ensuring equal access to quality education.
“Services include academic assistance, physical accessibility improvements, and community integration initiatives,” Abdel-Ghaffar said, adding that the centres also focus on training faculty members and staff to help students in achieving their full potential.
The five centres of the first phase have served 4,500 students with disabilities. With the addition of 15 new centres, the capacity to help students with disabilities is expected to increase significantly. “The initiative aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030, aiming to promote equal access to higher education and integrate students with disabilities into the university community,” Abdel-Ghaffar said.
“The recently established centre is assisting me with my postgraduate studies,” Youssef Al-Maghrabi, a blind student in Ain Shams University, said. “The centre helps by converting all my subjects into audio materials, making it easier for me to study.”
* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 December, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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