Achieving development in any country is a joint responsibility and needs intensive efforts from all citizens; the able-bodied and the disabled. But how can people with disabilities contribute to this development if their work and environment are not fitted to them? In Algeria, according to the Algerian National Office of Statistics, it is estimated that the total number of disabled people is around two million. Algeria has adopted the policy of inclusion in all levels of education, with a large number of those with physical challenges attending educational institutions with main-stream students. Hence, it is necessary to assess to what extent educational facilities are designed to fit the requirements of the disabled students, including their emotional needs. © Springer International Publishing AG 2018.