The sidewalks in Cairo, Egypt are NOT wheelchair accessible. That isn’t a tongue in cheek statement. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. It’s sad, if not tragic.
Egypt is not a wealthy country. But, from the standpoint of wheelchair users, its sidewalks are even less accessible than those in Bangkok, Thailand. In Cairo, you’ll be hard pressed to find a curb ramp anywhere. They just don’t exist, even in the most developed areas.
In Egypt, labor is cheap. An investment in accessibility would be welcome to many, especially the disabled population that finds itself trapped.
Even in a manual wheelchair, the curbs would be a great challenge. Curb heights range anywhere from 4 inches to an entire foot, with most between 6 and 8 inches. Travel more than a few blocks, climbing and descending those curbs at every intersection, and you’ll be left with no energy. For power wheelchair users? Nope. Nope. And nope again.
Tourists can take advantage of a wheelchair taxi and travel with a ramp of their own, but they won’t be rolling down the streets of Cairo. It’s out of the taxi, lay the ramp, access why you’re there for and drive to the next stop. The curbs are a hardship—one that’s not easily overcome—to locals and tourists alike. Build some ramps, Egypt!
