TEHRAN – The Welfare Organization of Iran has allocated 230 billion rials (about $6 million) to improve facilities for people with disabilities in the current Iranian calendar year, which started on March 21, 2017, the organization’s deputy director Hossein Nahvinejad announced.

“We are planning to make houses and cars of 11500 people with disabilities more appropriate,” he explained.

Making cities more accessible for people with limited mobility to have more social activities will inspirit them and help them have a stronger presence in the society, he added.

The budget allotted to guarantee enhanced accessibility for people with disability living in urban areas was some 118 billion rials (nearly $3.4m) for the past Iranian calendar year (March 2015-March 2016). 

“We provided facility for houses and cars of 8000 people with disabilities during the past year,” he said.

He also said a comprehensive plan on protection of the rights of persons with disabilities is being implemented by the organization.

According to the plan, organizations and municipalities shall find solutions to mobility and accessibility challenges in order to create more facilities for the physically challenged. 

The law enforce accessibility improvements for handicapped and wheelchair-bound citizens navigating sidewalks with providing sidewalk installations, repairs and curb cut-ins and handicapped parking availability for proximity to a building’s entrance, space for loading and unloading wheelchair equipment.

SB/MG