According to mental health professionals in Iran whom we interviewed, Electroconvulsive Therapy [ECT] is often carried out unnecessarily, or for conditions in which ECT is not likely to be helpful, and without the informed consent of the person receiving the treatment.[210] ECT consists of ...

My son has undergone electroshock therapy for 14 years now. Each time they tell me that he needs it and that, “You should sign this paper to allow it,” and I just sign the paper. But I still don’t know what shock therapy is and ...

Access to sexual and reproductive health care and information is difficult for most of the population in Iran. Traditional and religious beliefs about sexuality, lack of any sexual health education in official school curricula, and the absence of public information programs have contributed ...

Many people with disabilities Human Rights Watch and the Center for Human Rights in Iran interviewed said that they faced discrimination by health care personnel, including denial of care. There is no publicly available information about the training doctors and other medical personnel ...

Quality and specialized health care services are not provided in some provinces, particularly in remote and rural areas.[183] People living in these locations often must travel to major cities to access more advanced health care services or visit a specialist. Vajiheh, a 41-year-old woman ...

For many people with disabilities we interviewed in Iran, lack of inaccessible facilities, discriminatory attitudes, and a lack of awareness about disability among doctors and medical staff, impede access to medical care. Barriers to accessibility described in detail above include: in accessing personal ...

The transportation system here is so weak and difficult to use even for those who do not have to use a wheelchair. The sidewalks are also a real catastrophe. So, I have no choice but to ask others to ...

In recent years, the government has taken some concrete measures to improve accessibility, including by adopting mandatory accessibility standards for urban architecture.[168] However, the standards relate only to accessibility for people with “movement restrictions,” ignoring accessibility requirements for people with other types of disabilities. ...

I have missed many opportunities in my life due to inaccessible buildings. I couldn’t take care of my education and student affairs [issues] at the university because offices were located upstairs and there was no accessible elevator. I couldn’t go to the English language and ...

Deaf and hard of hearing persons reported that they face different barriers accessing metros and buses. Although public transportation is typically slower or sometimes not available at all, many said they use public transportation rather than taxis because of difficulties communicating with drivers.[152] Shahla, a ...

Blind persons are hampered by the lack or low quality of tactile tiles or paving (raised bumps and ridges) on ...

People we interviewed faced barriers in accessing the metro system in the cities where they live. Even where elevators ...

Many persons with physical disabilities who use wheelchairs said that they rarely use the bus system.[127] Those who do attempt to use buses often rely on the help of strangers, family members, or friends. Both BRT and regular buses generally are not accessible for ...

Tehran is home to the country’s first underground rail system, which serves over eight million people a day. The capital city also has a four-line Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) that serves 1.8 million people daily.[123] Underground rail systems now are present or under ...

Human Rights Watch and the Center for Human Rights in Iran found that preventing disability is one of the main priorities of Iran’s disability policy. In a 2015 speech SWO Director Anooshiravan Mohseni Bandpei said, “We should use medical science evidence to remove ...

There is no internationally accepted definition of disability. The CRPD describes people with disabilities as including those “who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an ...

The Iranian government’s approach to disability continues to rely heavily on the medical model of disability, which contributes to discrimination and stigmatization. Until recently, disability was widely understood through the lens of a person’s defect, difference, or illness. Persons with disabilities were seen as vulnerable, ...

Under the CRPD, the government of Iran is committed to “take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote” the realization of the right to an adequate standard of living and to the continuous improvement of living conditions for persons with disabilities and their families ...

The SWO is responsible for providing assistive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, and hearing aids. However, many persons Human Rights Watch and the Center for Human Rights in Iran interviewed said that they encountered excessive waiting times to obtain free or subsidized supportive ...

Interviews also revealed how many persons with disabilities face barriers in accessing essential services such as physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and psychotherapy.[56] Neither private nor public insurance schemes in Iran cover these services.[57] Although the National Health Transformation Plan, established in 2013, has expanded ...

While family members play important roles in the lives of many people with disabilities in Iran, under the CRPD, people with disabilities should have access to a range of in-home, residential, and other community support. This support includes personal assistance necessary to support ...

The office of Evaluation, Inspection, and Addressing Complaints in the SWO is responsible for conducting regular inspections to evaluate the performance of SWO staff as well as agencies and organizations providing services on behalf of the SWO. But persons with disabilities interviewed were ...

Many people we interviewed stated that social workers did not provide them with sufficient information in a timely manner about services and equipment to which they are entitled and the procedures for obtaining them. Many believed that social workers were only assigned to ...

Many persons with disabilities told our researcher that SWO staff had been disrespectful toward them and verbally abused them.[28] For example, when Shahla and her husband, both deaf, were considering having a baby, their friends told them that with a reference letter from SWO, ...

In order to live an independent and dignified life within society, persons with disabilities should have access to individualized means and services including, for example, assistive equipment and technologies, comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services, personal assistance services, as well as adequate disability pensions, ...