Comprehensive Law on Disability Rights

Article 1 – The Government is bound to make necessary arrangements for safeguarding the rights of the disabled and provide necessary support to them. Note: Within the meaning of this Law, the disabled are people whom the Medical Committee of State Welfare Organization (hereinafter referred to as SWO) confirms having persistent and significant disorder in general health and practice due to physical, mental, psychological harms or both in such a way that undermine individual's independence in social and economic domains.

Article 2 – All ministries, organizations, state institutes and companies as well as public and revolutionary entities are bound to make arrangements in designing, manufacturing and constructing buildings and public premises, passages and facilities in a way to provide accessibility and usage of them for disabled people the same as ordinary ones. Note 1 – Ministries, organizations, state institutes and companies as well as public and revolutionary entities are bound to with accessibility measures fit buildings, public, sport and recreational places, passages and existing facilities for the purpose of disabled people's access and usage within the framework of their annual budget allocation Note 2 – Municipalities are bound to refrain from issuing building permit or completion certificate for buildings and public premises and passages that fail to meet the disabled-related specialized standards. Note 3 – SWO is authorized to supervise and demand reports on measures undertaken by bodies mentioned in this Article about tailoring of buildings, state and public premises. * This is an unofficial translation and any liability whatsoever shall lie upon user in person. Islamic Parliament of Iran 1 Note 4 – The executive regulations of this Article shall within three months be drawn up jointly by Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, SWO and State Management and Planning Organization and approved by Cabinet ministers.

Article 3 – SWO is bound to undertake measures set out hereunder within the framework of approved credit allocation in annual budget regulations: a) Providing rehabilitation, support, training and vocational services needed by the disabled through engaging their families and cooperation of non-state sector (private sector, cooperatives, charities) and payment of cash subsidy to non-state centers and the families b) Developing special centers of guardianship, train and rehabilitate of the disabled who meet necessary requirements (the needy disabled, the guardianless disabled, the disabled of unknown identity, the disabled with behavior disorders) through cooperation of non-state sector and payment of credit facilities and cash subsidy to them c) Supplying and delivering rehabilitation devices needed by the disabled d) Expanding training, supportive and production workshops for the disabled and offering professional rehabilitation services to the disabled for their empowerment Note – Training, supportive and production workshops for the disabled, set out in this Article, shall be exempt from Labor Law enacted on 11/20/1990.

Article 4 – The disabled can pay half price in using state-run sport, creational, cultural and transport (subway, airplane, train) facilities Note – Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Physical Education Organization and Municipalities are bound to build and equip their libraries, sport terrains and recreational premises in a way that provide accessibility to the disabled.

Article 5 – At the discretion of SWO, people under the guardianship of the disabled shall benefit from healthcare insurance and supplementary insurance services provided to the disabled. 2

Article 6 – One of children of parents, who are disabled (one or both them) or who have at least two disabled children, shall be exempt from military service. Note – Men who look after their disabled wives shall be exempt from military service as long as they do so.

Article 7 – The Government is bound to provide facilities listed hereunder for the purpose of creating jobs for the disabled: a) Allocating at least three percent (3%) of employment permissions (permanent civil, contractual, labor employment) granted to state-run and public organs including ministries, organizations, institutes, companies as well as public and revolutionary entities and other organs benefiting from national public budget to the disabled who meet necessary requirements. b) Securing the premium of employer’s portion and paying this amount to the employers who hire disabled people c) Providing credit facilities to manufacturing, service-providing and construction units, unions and manufacturing workshops to the extent determined in the annual budget law in return for employing the disabled. d) Providing self-employment credit facilities (controlled funds) to the disabled to the extent determined in the annual budget law e) Providing credit facilities (controlled funds) for the establishment of job-creating manufacturing and service units to companies and institutes, more than sixty percent (60%) of shares and capital thereof belong to the disabled f) Allocating at least sixty percent (60%) of telephone operator positions in state organs and companies and public entities to blinds, partially sighted people as well as people with physical or movement disabilities g) Allocating at least sixty percent (60%) of secretary and typesetter positions in public organs, companies and entities to people with physical or movement disabilities Note 1 – All ministries, organizations, state institutes and companies as well as public and revolutionary entities are authorized to employ sua sponte blind and deaf people as well as people 3 with spinal injury, who meet required conditions, in line with their annual employment quota without vetting. Note 2 – State Management and Planning Organization is bound to allocate three percent (3%) of the annual employment permissions of ministries, state organizations and companies as well as public and revolutionary entities to SWO before contributing to employment test for the disabled to introduce short-listed disabled people to relevant organs as the case may be. Note 3 – SWO is authorized to establish, within the framework of its own credit, the fund of job opportunities for the disabled and SWO clients and have its articles of association approved by Cabinet ministers. Note 4 – The Technical and Vocational Training Organization is bound to gratuitously and interactively provide necessary technical and vocational training services for the disabled proportionate to the labor market.

Article 8 – The needy disabled people, who meet required conditions , At the discretion of SWO, can at any age benefit from free education in education units affiliated with Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education as well as other state organs and the Islamic Azad University. Note – The executive regulations of this Article shall be drawn up jointly by SWO, the aforesaid Ministries and the Islamic Azad University within two months starting from the date of notice of this Law and be approved by Cabinet ministers.

Article 9 – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Maskan Bank and Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation are bound to rent out at least ten percent (10%) of their low-price residential units to the disabled introduced by SWO. 4 Note 1 – The country's banking system is bound to provide subsidized credit facilities needed for the construction and purchase of housing for the disabled to the disabled or cooperatives or charity centers building houses for them. Note 2 – The National Land and Housing Organization is bound to buy at expert price the land needed for housing the disabled and provide the disabled or cooperatives or charity centers building houses for the disabled with them Note 3 – The disabled shall be exempt from paying for the issuance of building permit, preparation of land and building renovation taxes. Note 4 – SWO is bound to make arrangements, within the framework of its annual budget as well as financial contribution by natural and legal persons, to build houses for the disabled and SWO clients and convey the ownership of houses to them in accordance with the regulations which will be drawn up by SWO in cooperation with Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Management and Planning Organization and will be approved by Cabinet ministers.

Article 10 – The amount of subsidy to be paid by SWO to non-state centers (working either in daily hours or round the clock) for maintenance, rehabilitation services as well as vocational education of the disabled is determined jointly by SWO and Management and Planning Organization and Ministry of Commerce by taking into consideration the cost price of services and the inflation rate and is submitted to Cabinet ministers for approval before May 22 of every year.

Article 11 – The Statistical Center of Iran is bound to make arrangements in its national population and housing censuses to specify the population of the disabled and their category of disability.

Article 12 – The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) is bound to earmark at least two hours of its programs per week at appropriate time to SWO plans and familiarization of people with the potentialities of the disabled. 5

Article 13 – SWO is bound to work out appropriate mechanisms for the tutorship of the disabled, courts are bound to decide on appointing or dismissing tutors of the disabled and to issue sentences on it only based on the advice of SWO Note 1 – SWO is bound to appoint lawyers to represent the disabled in the courts and introduce them to the relevant court. Note 2 – SWO, in case of necessity, is authorized to file lawsuit in courts on behalf of the guardianless disabled and defend them for the purpose of safeguarding their rights. Note 3 – The executive regulations of this Article shall within three months be drawn up jointly by SWO and Ministry of Justice and approved by Cabinet ministers.

Article 14 – Taxpayers through SWO and its supervision can take action to build houses and rehabilitation, healthcare and vocational training centers needed by the disabled. Taxpayers’ cost certificate issued in such cases and endorsed by SWO shall be deemed as acceptable taxation cost. Note – The executive regulations of this Article within three months starting from the date of notice of this Law shall be drawn up jointly by SWO and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance and approved by Cabinet ministers.

Article 15 – The directors of provincial branches of SWO are authorized to attend as members in the meetings held by provincial planning and development councils and their working group committees. Note – In order to help employ the disabled and SWO clients, the director of SWO is authorized to attend the meetings of Supreme Council of Employment.

Article 16 – The necessary credit for the implementation of this Law is provided from resources listed hereunder: 6 1) By credit which organs and entities are required to envisage in their annual budget 2) By expenditure credit and capital ownership SWO has thereof provided necessary services to the disabled 3) By funds collected from implementing targeted subsidy plan in the country 4) By savings in the costs of state organs and companies and public entities Cabinet ministers determines the annual amount of such saving for each organ, company and entity. Note 1 – The executive regulations of this Article shall be drawn up by SWO and Management and Planning Organization and approved by Cabinet ministers. Note 2 – Articles of this Law which require new credit allocation shall not be implemented as long as the necessary credit is not earmarked for the purpose thereof. This Law, including 16 Articles and 24 Notes, was approved in a public session of the Islamic Parliament of Iran on Wednesday, 5/5/2004; Nonetheless, the Council of Guardians failed to announce its view within the deadline set in Article 94 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic. 7