CAIRO - There are 8 million deaf and dumb people in Egypt, some of whom participated in the January's 25 revolution. They used third generation cell phones to keep in touch with each other and other people, according to Naglaa el-Deghidi, a sign language expert who works as an interpreter for the deaf and dumb in the Egyptian Society for the Rehabilitation of Hearing Impaired People. Sami Fouad, who is responsible for sporting activities in this society, is still single, even though he's 66 years old. He blames the previous regime for the fact that he's never had enough money to get married. “Nothing has changed since the revolution. I have asked more than once for the authorities to set up a sports federation for handicapped people, but there's been no response,” Fouad says, adding that, under the previous regime, he also called for having a quota of parliamentary seats for disabled people, but again there was no response. Fouad only demonstrated for a couple of days during the recent revolution, then he had to stay at home because his health wasn't up to it. “I designed anti-regime placards and another one which read: 'Disabled people need a sports federation. Don't forget us'. “Now that Mubarak has stepped down, we are optimistic and appreciate the efforts being made by the Military Council. We hope the sectarian clashes will end,” he adds. Fouad loved Mubarak, only to change his tune when he found out how many tens of billions he had stolen, while people like Fouad were suffering. He tried to buy some land and failed. So Fouad, who wants Mubarak to go on trial, calls on the current Government to help the disabled, as they are human beings with the right to live an honourable life. Interviewed by Al-Wafd opposition newspaper, Mohsen el-Kholi, a disabled 40-year-old cleaning worker, called for the establishment of a club for deaf and dumb people, where they can do different activities like 'normal' people. “Suzanne Mubarak only paid attention to the blind because it was in her interests to do so,” said el-Kholi, adding that he didn't like the toppled president because of his privatisation drive that has jeopardised Egypt's future. “How can a family of six live on LE300 [about $50] per month? I have been forced to borrow money from relatives and friends in order to feed my family,” he explained. “I am happy with the revolution, because it will make senior officials think twice in future before stealing the people's money. I hope the thieving, thuggery and violence stop, for the sake of Egypt's economy. We also need someone to take a firm stand on social justice. “I welcome Essam Sharaf's Government. I lost my job because Gamal Mubarak privatised the Helwan Company for Pipelines, which I worked for. He also privatised many other companies,” el-Kholi added. A disabled man called Abdel-Hamid loves using Facebook, because no-one treats him as if he's handicapped. He wishes he were treated the same in public. He dreams of the day when he can live in a proper house, eat good food and get treated at a real hospital. Abdel-Hamid suggests that each social and sports club should offer free membership to a fixed number of handicapped people, especially the deaf, because most of them are poor and have humbler jobs than other people with special needs. Mohamed Anwar, an employee, says that the deaf and dumb have been calling for their rights for years, but nobody listens to them, although they listen to other disabled people. “In some movies, normal people are used to impersonate dumb people; they should really use people who are genuinely dumb and teach them how to act,” he suggests.
