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Egypt's disabled marginalized by government

The situation of disabled Egyptians is not improving and may further deteriorate with the prime minister’s decision to affiliate the National Council for Disability Affairs with the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
A disabled protester opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi waves a broom towards police during clashes along Qasr Al Nil bridge leading to Tahrir Square in Cairo January 28, 2013. A man was shot dead on Monday in a fifth day of violence inEgypt that has killed 50 people and prompted the Islamist president to declare a state of emergency in an attempt to end a wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world's biggest nation.  REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3D3EP
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CAIRO — Egypt's 2014 constitution granted its more than 10 million disabled citizens numerous rights. Some of them, however, think the state has not taken any new steps to improve their condition. Others believe that progress is merely slow, while some hold that their condition is actually getting worse.

In September, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab decided to affiliate the National Council for Disability Affairs (NCDA) — tasked with supervising and controlling government services for people with disabilities — with the Ministry of Social Solidarity. Like most specialized councils, the NCDA was previously under the prime minister's authority.

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