TEHRAN –The first national science-skill Olympiad for students with disabilities is planned to be held on May 9 in Tehran.

Supported by the national foundation for the elite, and the vice-presidency for science, technology, and knowledge-based economy, the event serves as a platform for showcasing the students’ talents and capabilities in science and acquiring different skills despite their disabilities, ISNA reported.

Also, it aims to lay the ground for further promoting the students’ abilities and their active participation in developing the country.

The national Olympiad involves a wide range of fields such as Art and Literature including Persian language and literature, English and Iranian sign language translation, designing clothes and jewelry, painting, graphics, and photography; Engineering and Technology (like computer engineering, student robotics, and architecture), as well as sports (sport sciences: chess).

Sustainable development for all

On December 3, 2024, the International Day of People with Disability was observed with the theme of ‘Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future’.

It highlights the significance of empowering people with disabilities to take the lead in shaping their own destinies and contributing to society.

The leadership of persons with disabilities is epitomized by the global disability rights movement’s slogan “Nothing About Us Without Us”. 

It connotes the basic requirements of participation, representation, and inclusion and calls for persons with disabilities to actively shape the conditions of their lives.

One of the priorities of the global disability agenda is to advance the agency and leadership of persons with disabilities. 

Impacts of sanctions on persons with disabilities

Speaking at the 17th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Ali-Mohammad Qaderi, the former head of the State Welfare Organization, said Iran will make every effort to enhance and expand the necessary services for persons with disabilities in accordance with the framework of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The conference was held from June 12 to13, 2024, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

“This is notwithstanding the fact that the cruel sanctions imposed by the United States and many Western countries on the Islamic Republic of Iran have significantly increased the prime costs of rehabilitation items and specialized services, and affected the economic capabilities of individuals receiving such services,” he said.

“Respecting persons with disabilities and striving to create equal opportunities for them has always been integral to our religious and national teachings, as well as the programs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

One of the most significant measures we have undertaken to support the rights of persons with disabilities is the enactment of the Law on Protecting the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” the official stressed.

MT/MG