There are countless figures Egyptians look up to: Nour El Sherbini, Mohamed Salah, Essam el Hadari, Farida Osman, and countless others. However, there is an extant segment of the Egyptian community that never fails to inspire: the Egyptian Special Olympics Athlete community. On Friday 3 December, the world celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities, shedding light on athletes who have excelled at countless sports despite physical, environmental, and mental odds stacked against them. This year’s celebration is focused on the pandemic, under the theme ‘’Fighting for Rights in the Post-Covid Era’’. According to various studies, namely observations by the UN, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted pre-existing inequalities worldwide, exposing the extent of exclusion of certain communities from opportunities as well as signaling dire consequences on those impacted. “People with disabilities—one billion people— are one of the most excluded groups in our society and are among the hardest hit in this crisis in terms of fatalities,” reads the UN website. In Egypt, opportunities can be reserved for the privileged majority, with few but increasingly apparent attempts to integrate people with disabilities in the economic and social sphere. Indeed, only recently…
Reaching for the Stars: Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 3, 2021
