Egypt: Campaigning for Rights of People with Special Needs · Global Voices
Rayna St.

Marginalized Egyptians with special needs have been protesting for their rights both before and since the #Jan25 revolution. However, their grievances are yet to be resolved. At the time when the Committee of 50 is voting on the most recent draft of the Egyptian Constitution, Zayee Zayak campaign, which translates to “I am just like you” from Egyptian colloquial Arabic, has kicked off in Egypt aiming at raising awareness about the constitutional rights of people with special needs in the country.
A 2006 census claimed that almost a million Egyptians suffered some sort of disability, yet dedicated NGOs and international organizations estimate these to be at least 8.5 million. Zayee Zayak campaigners evaluate that as many as 17 million Egyptians have special needs:
You can follow discussions through a dedicated group, ‘Disability Awareness in Egyptian Society’ (En).