The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights warned that newly cabinet-approved amendments to the law on the rights of persons with disabilities represent a “serious regression” from constitutional obligations and international conventions. The changes reframe disability through a “medical model of impairment” rather than a rights-based approach grounded in human dignity.
On Aug. 13, the cabinet approved amendments to four articles, saying they aim to curb what it called “manipulation and forgery” involving customs- and VAT‑exempt vehicles for persons with disabilities.
The changes introduce a new definition of persons with disabilities, revise eligibility for a tax‑exempt car or individual mobility aid, and tighten penalties for forging or misusing integrated services cards.
Debate over the term “defect”
The amendments define a person with a disability as “anyone suffering from a long‑term defect; physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory….” EIPR objected to the wording, arguing it will shrink the number of people eligible for state‑guaranteed services and benefits in education, employment, health care, and transport.
Replacing the phrase “any person with partial or total impairment or deficiency” with “anyone suffering from a defect” projects a negative, stereotypical image of persons with disabilities and has a severe psychological impact on recipients and their families, the EIPR report argues.
According to a statement from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, use of the word “defect” has sparked controversy and dismay among many persons with disabilities and their families.
The NCPD was left out of the legal drafting process in the cabinet, states the EIPR report. However, the council said it intends to review the amendments as part of its remit under Law No. 11 of 2019 establishing the council.
Tighter conditions
While acknowledging the need to set controls to prevent abuse of duty‑free car access, EIPR argued that the amendments fail to balance protecting public funds with facilitating daily life for persons with disabilities.
It criticized lengthening the restriction period on exempt vehicles, raising the time limit to benefit from a single car to 15 years instead of 5. This “far too long” interval makes replacement of worn‑out vehicles difficult, the report added.
EIPR also criticized provisions that would exclude categories of persons with disabilities from the car‑related benefits, saying new conditions remove some eligible groups, including social security beneficiaries, from these entitlements.
On July 24, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced a temporary halt to importing cars for persons with disabilities, citing increased violations—“after some individuals exploited the circumstances of persons with special needs by importing cars in their names and then selling them to others.”
Harsher penalties
EIPR also criticized tougher penalties related to forging integrated services cards. The proposed punishment rises to 10 years in prison and a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds, while equating document forgers with those who provide false information.
The group described this direction as a “flawed legislative policy” built solely on punitive solutions rather than addressing the root causes of the problems.
EIPR called for the immediate withdrawal of the proposed amendments and for an inclusive dialogue with representatives of persons with disabilities and the National Council. The changes do not address core obstacles, chief among them the difficulty of obtaining the integrated services card, the rights group said. Instead, they impose additional restrictions and undermine acquired rights.
Persons with disabilities constitute 11% of Egypt’s population, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) in 2022.
