TEHRAN — The law concerning the rights of persons with disabilities will be fully implemented by the next Iranian calendar year (March 2019, the deputy director for Iran’s Welfare Organization rehabilitation affairs has said, the YJC.

The new law on the rights of persons with disabilities has been approved on December 27, 2017, by the Majlis [Iranian parliament].

 “The law is a major step toward providing better services to people with disability, so it is hoped to improve the disabled people’s living condition,” Hossein Nahvinejad said.

As per the law, all responsible organizations are obligated to implement the law, and the Welfare Organization will ensure the enforcement of the law, he stated.

The media can play an important role in enforcing the law of protecting the disabled along with the efforts by the Welfare Organization, Nahvinejad highlighted.

The law aims to create an environment in which people with disability can have an equal chance of accessing social facilities as normal people. People with multiple disabilities can use public transportation– including buses and subway – free of charge.

The law mandates the Ministry of Health to refine the insurance coverage of the disabled individuals. Also, to pay the nursing costs to the head of families.

As per another article of the law, eligible individuals can receive free education both at public and even Azad universities (universities that charge students for educational services).

The law also obliges state-run organizations to allocate 3 percent of their job vacancies to the disabled people. Also working hours for people with disability will be reduced by 10 hours and the working hours of their parents and spouses will have a marked reduction.

Based on the law, Ministry of Transport and Urban Development and related organizations are required to allocate 10 percent of newly constructed houses to persons with disabilities, and in this regard they should provide low-interest loans for buyers.

One of the most important articles of the law requires the administration to allocate the required budget to pay a minimum wage to those persons with multiple disabilities who are not able to work. 

FB/MQ