Nada’s mother believes that her disabled daughter has the right to enjoy a normal life like her siblings and peers. She is a victim of disability whose parents did their best to send her to a special school in Port Said in an attempt to improve her skills and integrate her with other children.

Nada’s mother says: “Nada passed the tests in a private school in Port said and they accepted her papers. Once they knew she was of special needs, they refused her admission and returned her file, although teachers said her answers allow her to attend school.”

“She is not disabled, we are the disabled ones,” Nada’s mother adds.
“My daughter is not disabled… My husband tried to convince the school’s principal to accept our daughter in the school, but her refused. He said he did not want to open the door for the admission of other disabled students. In fact, ministerial decision no. 42 of the year 2015 states that children with special needs who has a 64% to 84% disability have the right to be integrated with other students in schools chosen by their parents in accordance with their residency.”

Nada’s mother went on to say: “After her rejection, I tried in another school but the headmistress also refused Nada, under the same pretext. When I told her that some schools in Cairo accept children like her case, she told me to go to Cairo, saying that I was unfair to the kid for not sending her to a mental education school.”

Nada’s mother was not willing to send her daughter to a public school that is not equipped to receive children with special needs, in addition to the overcrowded classes there, which might negatively affect the achievement of her daughter, and other children like her.

“Social awareness is a must”

“What happened to Nada was expected. However, the challenge her is that she enjoys certain capabilities. They did not examine that, but rather judged her depending on their previous experience with cases like hers,” She adds.

“Nada could hire a lawyer but we don’t know what kind of treatment she would receive if she wins the case and gets accepted at school,” Rehab argues.