CAIRO — The unprecedented inclusion of nine people with disabilities in the Egyptian parliament raises questions as to whether it will bring about legal advantages for such persons in Egypt. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Khalid Hanafi, a visually impaired representative and one of the 28 parliamentarians appointed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said that he was preparing a series of interpellations and briefing requests to submit to the government. These would cover a number of issues, most notably rights for people with disabilities and other social issues.

The text of the interview follows:

Al-Monitor:  Do you think that the inclusion of nine people with disabilities in the Egyptian parliament will help them to address the issues facing this group?

Hanafi:  This unprecedented number confirms several important messages — most notably that Egypt is working to honor the rights of marginalized groups, which were not taken into account before. Eight people with disabilities won the elections, after the various parties were compelled to include them on their lists, and I was among the 28 representatives appointed by the president before parliament convened on Jan. 10. This reflects the clear shift in the way political leaders in Egypt view people with disabilities, following the suffering caused by the previous regimes that looked down on them in past years. Perhaps this change has become clear since Sisi took office and surprised us when he attended the 2014 Special Olympics for People with Disabilities. I believe that our presence in parliament supports our chances to win not only the struggle to resolve the issues of people with disabilities, but also to solve the problems of the various social groups, especially marginalized groups.