Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 51 | Page 48

COUNTRY FOCUS: EGYPT With technological advancements progressing at speed, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Egypt is embarking on an innovative approach to enhance the lives of disabled people. ///////////////// Ministry utilises IT to empower disabled people Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology launches contact centre for people with disabilities New WASEL contact centre launched by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology enables people with hearing and speech disabilities to access a range of services through video calls. The centre is the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa region. 48 INTELLIGENTCIO E gypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has launched WASEL, a first-of-its-kind contact centre service in the region that provides enhanced access to services for people with disabilities. Launched in accordance with the presidential initiative establishing a National Council for People with Disabilities, WASEL is a contact centre that is technically equipped to provide people with hearing and speech impairments access to emergency, ambulance, rescue and firefighting services through video calls. Accessible to citizens via the new WASEL mobile application, the solution is built on Avaya IX Workplace, and www.intelligentcio.com