Despite being born hearing-impaired, Dr. Esraa El Bably did not let her disability get in the way of her dreams. The route to becoming Egypt’s first hearing-impaired dentist was challenging, as many dental schools had previously denied her admission.
Recently, in March 2022, for Women’s History Month, she advised USAID in Egypt, alongside participants from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, in a webinar providing critical insights on how to be more inclusive, increase acceptance, and provide reasonable accommodations for everyone to fully participate in USAID in Egypt and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo’s programs.
On being hearing impaired and her journey, she has stated, “We’re all different, and we all have our own weaknesses. However, weaknesses can be turned into strengths. As long as you are strong and you don’t care what others think, the whole universe will bend in front of you.”
With the many obstacles stacked against her, she defied all odds by achieving her dream of becoming a successful dentist. She became Egypt’s first hearing-impaired dentist, operated her own dental clinic in Cairo, gave speeches at the United Nations, and received an award of recognition from Egyptian President El-Sisi, among many other inspiring achievements.
