By Dalia Al Nimr
Mariam Mohsen finds solace in music. Playing the piano since she was 8, the integrated marketing communication and political science sophomore who was born with a visual impairment uses music to connect with the world around her, expressing herself beyond words.
This fall, she performed alongside renowned Egyptian musician Omar Khairat at a Student Union concert in AUC New Cairo and delivered a captivating solo performance at the University's celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in AUC Tahrir Square. She was the first to organize an international event in Egypt raising awareness of Braille music, which she studied at Trinity College London.
"Visually impaired people I've met either think Braille music is very hard or don't know it actually exists," says Mohsen, who heads the Music Committee in AUC's Musicana student organization. "After just relying on my ears to understand the composition of a piece of music, I wanted to know how to actually write music from a theoretical perspective -- so I learned Braille music, which helped me picture the notes in my head while playing them."
Mohsen wanted to spread the word about Braille music, so she organized an online international conference where she invited organizations that transcribe, print or teach Braille music. "My goal was to provide resources to people with visual impairments to pursue music like sighted people do," she recalls. "I want to let every single blind person know that they can do whatever they want if they put their mind to it."
"It's not easy to fight for your goals, but when you see the results, you'll be happy that you actually followed your dreams."
Living by that motto, Mohsen did not just stop at music. She came up with initiatives to increase accessibility and inclusiveness across the country. "Accessibility has always been an integral part of my life," she says. "I was born visually impaired, so I wanted to do something that would make a change or difference in Egypt and the world."
Mohsen was an active participant at the December 2021 annual national celebration for people with disabilities, where she met with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and proposed a recommendation that all official documentation in the country have tactile features or Braille. "I could lose or misidentify my ID or even my passport," says Mohsen, who was named the country's Accessibility Ambassador.
Based on Mohsen's recommendation, the 2023-2024 ballots integrated Braille, and the Central Bank of Egypt embossed a tactile feature into the new plastic EGP 20 banknote, with plans to extend this to more banknotes.
"I worked alongside the Central Bank of Egypt, researching international laws and protocols, and I am proud that Egypt is one of few countries that introduced Braille into their ballots," she says. "It's very fulfilling when you do something that benefits people and impacts them positively."
For Mohsen, this is just the beginning. "I can do even more," she affirms. "It makes me brave and courageous to propose suggestions that will make life better for people like me." Mohsen's younger sister, who also has a visual impairment, is further inspiration for her advocacy. "I want future generations to feel better about themselves," she says. "It's not easy to fight for your goals, but when you see the results, you'll be happy that you actually followed your dreams."