by Khadija Tachfine
Hespress.com
The more than 400,000 visually impaired people in Morocco continue to struggle to access education, employment, health services, and other services, despite reforms the country adopted to promote inclusion.
From the UN Disability Convention to the 2011 Constitution and Framework Law 97.13, which aims to protect and promote the rights of people with disabilities, helpful laws are in place but not being enforced.
Many visually impaired people took to the streets of Rabat on the occasion of the National Day for Persons with Disabilities on March 30, to protest the daily obstacles they face.
The National Association of the Blind argue that “these achievements remain largely on paper and are not properly enforced, leaving them without the support and services they need.”
Morocco has several laws to support blind and visually impaired people, including Law 81-5. That law basically gives them access to public schools and vocational training, priority for jobs suited to their abilities in both the public and private sectors, free or discounted public transport, and priority when visiting government offices.
The law also protects employees from being retired or dismissed because of vision loss, requiring administrations to provide rehabilitation and assign suitable positions.
In 2012, Morocco adopted a 7 percent quota for public sector jobs reserved for people with disabilities to improve their access to employment within state institutions and promote their integration into the labor market.
The measure applies to positions within the state, local authorities, and public institutions.
“The measure is unfortunately not implemented,” said Lamia Lehlou Kamal, an activist and secretary-general of the Alternatives Organization for the Blind and Visually Impaired. “If that 7 percent were enforced, there wouldn’t even be unemployed people with disabilities.”
Since the adoption of a unified recruitment exam in 2019, around 200 people with disabilities per year have been able to integrate into several ministries and public institutions, targeting both administrative and technical roles, and improving access to employment within the public sector.
“It helped ease the pressure but remains low compared to graduates,” argued Lehlou Kamal.
Even with visually impaired people employed, some public administrations still don’t provide basic tools like screen readers, adapted computers, scanners, or others.
A 2025 study by the Ombudsman Institution in partnership with the State Secretariat for Social Inclusion and the National Observatory for Human Development found that only 25 percent of Moroccan administrations are considered inclusive, looking at access, services, digital tools, training, and job integration.
Almost half (47.5 percent) of administrations were found to offer digital services, but accessibility for people with disabilities is still uneven.
“Most employees must figure things out on their own,” the activist said.
There is also an issue with assigning tasks that match employees’ qualifications.
Many visually impaired employees end up with duties that don’t reflect their skills or training, which contributes to feelings of discrimination and limits their career growth, she said.
The study said that administrative or human support is provided in only 20 percent of cases, while tasks are adjusted in just 45 percent of administrations to help employees with disabilities integrate more effectively.
Blind and visually impaired students also struggle with access to education.
Most attend specialized schools run by the Alouite Organization for the Care of the Blind, a non-profit association managing their education since around 1967.
The association has more than 10 institutions nationwide, providing free education, Braille textbooks, writing boards, counting blocks, and digital tools to support learning. It also offers meals and boarding for students from primary to secondary levels.
The goal is to integrate blind individuals into society as full citizens, supporting their development and showcasing their abilities through programs in education, training, employment, sports, and social care.
Yet, “the number of branches has decreased over time,” the activist said, noting that some regions have only one branch, such as in Casa-Settat or Rabat.
Education for many students generally happens through this association, despite programs for inclusive education in regular schools.
Still, many complain about being sent to associations instead of attending public schools.
“We are citizens, and our parents pay taxes. We should have access to public education,” Lamiaa said. “It’s not fair for our community to be sent to associations and treated as if we were a burden,” a problem faced by people with many types of disabilities.
Educational staff for visually impaired students has also been limited.
Teachers were often people without disabilities. Many of them did not know Braille, creating communication barriers between students and teachers.
Most students choose to pursue their academic studies in philosophy, sociology, French, or English, restricting their opportunities in the job market.
“The association that educates visually impaired students focuses on literature and leaves them without access to scientific or vocational programs, limiting their future opportunities,” Lehlou Kamal said.
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