I am pleased to speak to you today, in this meeting that brings together the people of one nation who aspire to a better morrow for them and  our beloved Egypt.

Our meeting today is an affirmation of the will of the State and its commitment to employ and utilize all its human potentials in order to establish a society in which all its citizens enjoy equal opportunities for a decent life and for participating effectively in the process of the comprehensive development through the application of the latest global technologies.

It also comes as a culmination of the perseverance and ambition of the sons of this great people who embodied, through their will and effort, an example to be followed and a conclusive evidence that creativity is hindered only by surrender and despair.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Egypt has always assigned a high priority in investment of building the human being. Therefore, decisive steps have been taken to maximize the great potentials of the persons with special needs. Thus, the 2014 Constitution guarantees them unprecedented rights. Besides, they have a considerable representation in the parliament that allows them to exercise part of their rights. In addition, the year 2018 has been declared the year of people with disabilities and it has witnessed issuance of a law for them, along with directing the efforts of various state institutions to work to incorporate them in their development strategies.

What we witness today of the optimum use of communication and information technologies to remove obstacles on the way of the people with special needs, is one of the fruits of the relentless efforts to implement the initiative launched two years ago to incorporate and empower them through using information and communication technologies in line with Egypt's vision for sustainable development 2030 and the related United Nations Convention.

Egypt, represented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), has won several international awards in the field of ICT to incorporate and empower the people with special needs. This reflects the international recognition of Egypt's policies, which support the principles of human rights as well as its commitment to the international commitments in a way that enables it to assume regional leadership in this field. In this respect, we work as hard as possible to invest all capabilities that would not only make Egypt a center for the manufacture of assistive technology but also export it to the Arab region and Africa.

 Brothers and Sisters,

 

We look forward to a society, whose individuals are equal in exercising rights and performing duties, and this can not be achieved without  usage  of assistive technology. It is the bridge that leads us to a realistic model that could be applicable. This was clearly obvious today in the innovations of young people in the "assistive technology", which included the successful experiences of our sons with special needs.

 
These successes promote our confidence that we are on the right track. They, also, show that the state abides by the scientific method in dealing with their needs.

 I would like to confirm that the Egyptian government will exert more efforts to create a suitable environment for our sons with special needs to unleash their innovation and enable them to interact with the different aspects of life. In this respect, I announce  launching of the initiative of "Technological availability of e-government portals" aiming to enable people with special needs to access the services provided through the "high-availability websites" of th government entities with complete independence, where they could access to the necessary information in a convenient manner.

 
I, also, announce the establishment of the Technical Center to serve people with disabilities. It will be the first of its kind in Africa, which provides the use of appropriate assistive technologies as a means of communication via telephone for people with hearing and communication difficulties.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

What I have seen today sincerely reveals the efforts exerted by creative minds that seek to put Egypt in the ranks of the developed countries in the field of incorporation and empowering people with special needs. Stemming from the keenness of the state to develop the personal and cognitive skills of its sons, I declare the establishment of “The National Academy of Information Technology for People with Disabilities” according to the latest quality and training standards, so that such an Academy would afterwards be a regional center for training and rehabilitation of people with special needs in the Arab World and Africa through:

- Building the capabilities of people with special needs through providing high availability training programmes in the fields of communication and information technology. These programmes aim at qualifying the youth so as to get suitable and miscellaneous job opportunities and guarantee their freedom of choice and independence in performance through providing a favourable working environment. 

- Offering training programmes for rehabilitating members of the society who are dealing with the people with special needs on using the assistive technology applications.

- and finally, developing and stimulating the innovation talents of children and youth with special needs. 

My Dear Sons with Special Needs,

I extend my thanks and appreciation to you for the messages of hope that you have sent to us today on overcoming the obstacles you face and turning them to points of strength. I promise you that in return of your patience and perseverance , the state, with its various bodies and institutions, will exert its utmost for achieving several projects that would contribute to providing a decent life for you and would develop your potent capabilities so as to assert together that the will of this nation  and integration among its sons are the momentum for heading towards the future. 

Great People of Egypt,

Let us pool our efforts to promote the culture of protection of the rights of people with special needs, thus helping them incorporate socially. I also call the media to adopt their issues, highlight their stories of success and encourage them to overcome the challenges and excel in all walks of life. 

Long Live Egypt with its creative youth and with the determination and perseverance of its sons… Long Live Egypt… Long Live Egypt

May Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You