Morocco to conduct census of handicapped persons

Morocco will launch next Monday a nationwide census of its handicapped persons, in a bid to determine the rate of disability among Moroccans, identify various forms of disabilities, understand their causes and assess their impact.

A statement of the Moroccan secretariat of state in charge of family, children and handicapped persons, says the census, to be supported by the European Union through its MEDA program, will also try to grasp exclusion factors among handicapped persons, define the needs of this population as regards rehabilitation and reintegration and know their needs.

The operation will concern some 55,000 persons, 10,000 families, in various rural and urban regions in Morocco, as part of the census that will also target associations and state institutions active with disabled persons.