TEHRAN – Not only the Welfare Organization, but all institutions have the mission to provide the ground for growth, prosperity, and employment of persons with disabilities, President Ebrahim Raisi said.

He made the remarks in the commemoration ceremony of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which was held on Friday in Tehran.

People with disabilities should be supported. These people should not be pitied, but should have double respect because despite having physical defects, they are effective and efficient at all levels of society, and they should have equal social opportunities with others, he further highlighted.

He went on to state that all institutions have a mission to provide a basis for the growth and employment of disabled people; the streets, public places, and private buildings should be made accessible for the disabled.

Proper attention to people with disabilities in society should become a culture, and this requires media and cultural work. Also, the government and related organizations should pay special attention to this issue, he added.

He further called on the Ministry of Labor and the Welfare Organization to take measures on their employment and prosperity.

A law approved in 2018 highlights free transportation, insurance, education, and fewer working hours for people with disabilities.

It should be announced to the authorities that employing disabled people should be prioritized. I emphasize that the employment of disabled people will cause social peace, which is effective and useful, he emphasized.

Raisi also obliged the Ministry of Roads to prioritize the provision of housing for people with disabilities and their families.

The persons with disabilities constitute 8 percent of the Iranian population; These loved ones should not be removed from society and neglected, he concluded.

The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on 3 December was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities.

The theme this year is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world”.

The 2022 global observance to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be around the overarching theme of innovation and transformative solutions for inclusive development, covering in three different interactive dialogues the following thematic topics of innovation for disability-inclusive development in employment (SDG8), innovation for disability-inclusive development in reducing inequality (SDG10), innovation for disability-inclusive development.

Law on rights of persons with disabilities

Majlis [the Iranian parliament] approved both general outlines and details of a bill on the rights of persons with disabilities in January 2018. Development of disability-friendly cities, free transportation, health insurance, free education, job creation, housing loans, and fewer working hours are some of the articles of the law.

Since the approval of the law, education for students with disabilities has been provided in Azad universities, subsidies for patients with spinal cord injury as well as disability care centers have been increased, in addition to residential units for families having members with disabilities.

Asghar Shirzadi, chairman of the board of the Iranian association of the disabled, said in December 2020 that it still seems that the related organizations are not very willing to implement the law.

According to the national document on improving accessibility in cities for persons with disabilities, fifty-five cities, five villages, and three metropolitan areas should be considered as pilots until the Iranian calendar year 1402 (March 2023-March 2024).

The national document includes a five-year action plan which analyzes the country’s weaknesses and strengths in being accessible for the people physically challenged, with the participation of representatives of the country's responsible bodies and NGOs.

The document describes strategies and plans to construct all buildings accessible to people with disabilities, and the country's headquarters for increasing the cities’ accessibilities will follow up the strategies and regulations.

FB/MG