The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Ministry of Social Solidarity have launched the National Network for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) Services, Taheel, under the slogan: Ability is revealed through your difference.
The Network is one of the community initiatives that aim to support PwDs inclusion in society and build their digital capacities to qualify them for the labor market. Launching the Network is within the framework of strengthening the national efforts to empower PwDs using ICT, as part of the government’s human development plan.
The Network was launched on the sidelines of Initiators Congress, held for the first time this year, under the patronage of the Prime Minister. The Congress is organized by the Ministry of Social Solidarity in cooperation with partners including decision-makers in PwDs issues in Egypt, representatives of government institutions, private sector and civil society, and those concerned with fulfilling PwDs rights.
Taheel was created and developed in partnership between MCIT, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the United Nations Partnership to Promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD). The Network is aimed at helping young PwDs find decent jobs through a network of digital services, bringing entities offering PwDs rehabilitation, training, and employment programs together in one place. The Network also seeks to build an integrated system for all the national efforts for training, qualifying and supporting PwDs to find job opportunities.
During the soft launch of the Network website, an initial database was created, including the data of 1,020 associations, agencies, and institutions specializing in PwDs services. The website also includes data and accounts of more than 80 registered companies, employment agencies, and over 100 PwDs, job seekers.
The Network services are available in Arabic on both a website and mobile application. Taheel operates capitalizing on state-of-the-art technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), chatbot, and GPS. The Network facilitates access of people with hearing loss, using sign language to present content, as well as visually impaired people, using screen reader programs. Moreover, the Network allows users to receive notifications to stay updated and provides technological tools and applications to share content among parties to exchange ideas, experiences, and success stories.
Taheel presents PwDs to the labor market professionally, highlighting their skills. The Network also provides full services to help employ PwDs, overcome the challenges they face, including the lack of suitable job opportunities and skills, and poor accessibility in the workplace, and help create an enabling work environment for them.
Furthermore, the Network offers a range of tools to support businesses, companies, and service providers in dealing with PwDs and presenting their institutions and open jobs in an accessible and decent manner. Taheel helps employers create an appropriate and inclusive work environment by raising awareness of the fundamentals of physical and psychological accessibility and exploring the capabilities of PwDs. In addition, the Network allows institutions to identify the most in-demand jobs, design training programs in line with the labor market, and improve the quality of PwDs services.
Decision-makers, through the Network, can extract reports and indicators on the gap between PwDs skills and the labor market, helping them modify policies and programs targeting PwDs to bridge such gap and include PwDs more effectively in the labor market.
The launch of the Network is part of the efforts exerted to support PwDs inclusion and facilitate their access to technology tools and solutions for training and employment. The Network brings together a large number of agencies offering PwDs services and qualifying them for the labor market, in addition to several representatives of government agencies, most notably the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, relevant civil society organizations and private companies.
In the first stages of creating the Network, ILO organized workshops to build the capacities of PwDs and employees at the National Council for Persons with Disabilities and the National Council for Women. UNDP, however, was the key player supporting the creation and development of the Network and promoting community development using technological solutions for PwDs rehabilitation.
Moreover, launching the Network is part of the national plan for investing in human development, targeting qualifying citizens of different groups, most notably PwDs, and matching their skills with the labor market by creating digital platforms that provide more job opportunities. The Network also reflects MCIT keenness to improve the quality of technology services provided to PwDs and awareness of the importance of technologically empowering people as one of the main pillars of its strategy where technological programs and applications are adapted to empower PwDs and build their digital capabilities.
