The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (GIZ) Egypt, has launched an initiative to advance the inclusion of persons with disabilities across Egypt’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector and develop practices and solutions that support more inclusive workplaces.
Through a participatory approach bringing together 14 local and multinational companies, experts, professionals, and persons with disabilities, the initiative will facilitate the exchange of experiences, identify challenges, and co-develop practical solutions and practices, culminating in the development of the ICT Inclusion Playbook.
The Playbook will reflect the realities and needs of Egypt’s ICT sector and support ITIDA’s efforts to broaden the sector’s talent pool and leverage the capabilities of diverse talent.
The initiative was launched at an event held at ITIDA’s premises in Smart Village, attended by Eng. Ahmed Elzaher, CEO of ITIDA; Andreas Ruepp, Director of the Business and Green Transformation Programme at GIZ Egypt; and Dr. Khaled Habib, CEO of Fit For Life and lead consultant for the initiative, along with representatives of the 14 participating local and multinational companies and a group of experts, specialists, and professionals with disabilities.
The 14 participating companies are Brightskies, CrocoIT, DVIT, DXC, Fingerprint, Foundever, IBM, Microsoft, NTG, Orange Business, Raya IT, Sutherland, VOIS, and Xceed.Ahmed Elzaher, CEO of ITIDA, said equal opportunity and social responsibility are key pillars of the Agency’s efforts to empower persons with disabilities, enabling them to leverage their skills and capabilities and participate effectively in the labour market.
He noted that advancing disability inclusion goes beyond its social dimension to create an opportunity to broaden the talent and skills available to the ICT sector.
Providing supportive workplaces that can accommodate diversity enables companies to tap into new pools of talent and capabilities, supporting business development and innovation.Elzaher also highlighted ITIDA’s collaboration with DXC on the DXC Dandelion Programme, which offers an innovative approach to identifying neurodivergent talent and enabling them to leverage their capabilities in the technology sector.
The programme demonstrates the importance of developing new pathways to identify diverse talent and support its integration into the labour market.
Building on such experiences, Elzaher said ITIDA’s partnership with GIZ through the initiative brings together industry companies and relevant stakeholders to exchange experiences, identify challenges, and develop practical solutions, leading to an ICT Inclusion Playbook that provides companies with a practical framework for improving the recruitment and inclusion of persons with disabilities and supports the sector’s efforts to achieve its targeted employment rate.
He expressed his appreciation to the initiative’s partners, stressing the importance of bringing efforts and expertise together to translate successful experiences into practical practices.
He also underscored the need to accelerate the work to complete the Playbook at the earliest opportunity, allowing its outputs to be shared and applied across the sector.
Mr. Andreas Ruepp, Director of the Business and Green Transformation Programme at GIZ Egypt, said: “At GIZ, we believe that sustainable solutions are not imposed from the top down; they are developed in partnership with stakeholders, based on their realities and needs.
This is what makes this initiative important. We are not seeking to develop a theoretical guide, but rather to work with the ICT sector itself to develop practical solutions and practices that make inclusive employment of persons with disabilities a sustainable part of the workplace.”
He added: “What distinguishes this initiative is the integration of roles.
GIZ contributes its technical expertise in inclusion and equal opportunity, as well as its experience in developing partnerships with the private sector through its programmes.
ITIDA brings together the ICT sector and provides the framework for the initiative, while the participating companies bring the practical experience and ownership needed to translate the proposed solutions into practices that can be implemented.”
Ruepp also highlighted the partnership between GIZ, through its private sector development programme, and Raya IT as an initial practical experience demonstrating the potential to establish meaningful pathways towards inclusive employment in the technology sector.
“We see this initiative as a transition from a successful practical experience with Raya IT to building a sector-wide solution,” he said.
“We want to move from a commitment to the principle of inclusion to institutional practices that ensure equal opportunities and enable persons with disabilities to secure meaningful roles and pursue professional development.
Ultimately, the goal is not simply to produce a guide, but to make the Playbook a tool that the sector owns and puts into practice.”Fit For Life is serving as the initiative’s lead consultant.
The consulting firm specialises in sustainable development and human and organisational capability development.
It will facilitate workshops and sessions with participating companies and help translate their experiences and perspectives into practical, implementable practices and solutions, ensuring that the Playbook reflects the real challenges facing persons with disabilities and provides practical tools and methodologies to advance their inclusion in the ICT sector.
Through 15 workshops and interactive sessions, the initiative will facilitate the exchange of experiences and the development of practical solutions and tools, leading to a Playbook covering key areas of disability inclusion, including recruitment, workplace practices, capability development, and impact measurement, alongside assessment indicators and a phased roadmap.
The Playbook will be made available on ITIDA’s website and shared with companies and institutions across the sector as a practical reference for advancing inclusion practices.
The initiative is part of the partnership between ITIDA and GIZ Egypt under the develoPPP programme, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
It aims to strengthen co-operation between the private sector and development partners to develop practical solutions that advance the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market and digital economy, drawing on private-sector and development expertise and engaging persons with disabilities in shaping relevant practices and solutions.
