Our research uncovered serious problems in the work of the State Welfare Organization (SWO), the main agency tasked with providing services to people with disabilities. Interviewees described how state social workers insulted and humiliated them. Many people we interviewed stated that social workers ...

Include human rights, including the rights of people with disabilities, in all bilateral and multilateral discussions with Iran. Ensure that funding for civil society and economic and social development include benchmarks and reporting regarding progress in ensuring the rights of people with ...

Implement a comprehensive review of legislation and policies including a legal definition of disability, to ensure that they are in line with the requirements of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Remove all derogatory language from legislation and policies; ...

While some of these recommendations should be implemented by individual authorities or government agencies, overwhelmingly these recommendations can only be implemented through meaningful inter-agency coordination at the national level, as well as by provincial offices and municipalities. The government of Iran should establish an inter-agency ...

The CRPD requires states parties to adopt immediate and effective measures to “raise awareness throughout society … to foster respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities; to combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices relating to persons with disabilities … in ...

The CRPD makes certain guarantees to people with disabilities as part of their right to the highest attainable standard of health, including the right to a range of healthcare services of adequate quality as close as possible to their communities and the right ...

The CRPD requires states to enable persons with disabilities to live independently and to participate and be included fully in their communities, including by guaranteeing their right to choose their places of residence and access services and facilities available to the general population ...

The CRPD requires that states take measures to ensure persons with disabilities have access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communication, including information and communication technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services ...

The CRPD defines discrimination on the basis of disability as “any distinction, exclusion, or restriction on the basis of disability which has the purpose or effect of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise on an equal basis with others, of all ...

Iran is a party to several major international human rights conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),[230] the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR),[231] and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).[232] In 2009, Iran acceded to ...

The constitution of Iran does not include any explicit reference to persons with disabilities, although it states that “All citizens of the country, both men and women, equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human, political, economic, social, and cultural ...

People whom we interviewed said mental health professionals did not always provide adequate information to patients with psychosocial disabilities and their family members about their conditions or treatment options. Soheila, who has worked with persons with psychosocial disabilities for many years in different ...

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 ...