January 19, 2022
Cairo – The United States and Cairo University inaugurated a disability service center at Cairo University to empower students with disabilities. This new U.S. government supported center will advocate for university-wide policies and provide services and equipment to students with disabilities.
At the inauguration ceremony, USAID’s Mission Director Leslie Reed said, “The United States and Egypt opened the first university disability centers in Egypt in 2020, an important milestone for Egypt’s public university system, and I am so excited to inaugurate the fifth disability center today at Cairo University. The United States will continue to work with Egyptian public and private sector partners in both basic and higher education to expand access and opportunities for persons with disabilities.”
This new disability center at Cairo University is one of five centers at partner universities in Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, Ain Shams, and Assuit to support students with disabilities. This program is part of the U.S. government’s U.S.-Egypt Higher Education Initiative, a $32 million activity that awarded 670 scholarships to disadvantaged students across Egypt to attend five top public universities in Egypt. Some 44 of the 670 scholarships were awarded to Egyptians with disabilities to pursue studies in various fields, some of which are only now accessible to persons with disabilities. In addition to scholarships, students also receive academic and career counseling, English language training, and access to internship, study abroad, and job opportunities.
The United States’ support for disability service centers is part of the $30 billion (EGP 471 billion) that the American people have invested in Egypt through USAID since 1978. To find out more about USAID’s work in Egypt, please see https://www.usaid.gov/egypt, and follow on Facebook and Twitter at @USAIDEgypt
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