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Conversation with Siavash Khorramgah

Mohammadreza Seidavi was born on August 5th, 1973 in the city of Rasht. He completed his primary education at Dr. Khazayeli School and his middle and high school education at regular schools in Rasht. In 1997, he received his diploma in humanities and was accepted into the national entrance exam for government management at Payam Noor University in Rasht and industrial management at Islamic Azad University in Rasht. However, due to lack of interest in the field of management, he did not attend university.

Mr. Saidavi suffered a severe brain injury and became disabled at birth, and according to the confirmation of the medical commission of the Welfare Organization of Gilan province, he has a very severe physical disability and types with his toe.

In this issue of “Khat-e-Solh”, we had a conversation with Mohammad Reza Seidavi and asked him about the challenges he faces as a person with disabilities.

As the first question, please tell our audience about the problems you face on a daily basis in the city and public spaces.

The public roads in the city of Rasht are in very bad condition. For example, there are no designated ramps for wheelchairs on many sidewalks. This problem exists in most small and deprived cities. In some parks, they have installed iron barriers at the entrances to prevent motorcycles from passing through, which also blocks wheelchair access. In some elevators in Tehran, they have placed a pole in the middle, making it difficult for wheelchairs to enter. However, in recent years, measures have been taken to improve public roads, and in cities like Shiraz – where I have traveled once – the public roads have been completely improved. However, historical and recreational sites, museums, and ancient monuments in Shiraz still lack wheelchair ramps. This problem also exists in many hotels and hostels in Shiraz and other cities. Unfortunately, in Rasht, even the city buses have locked the designated ramps for wheelchair users, making it impossible for me and others like me to use the city bus services

Generally, do people understand your situation and, for example, help you when you need it?

Yes, in recent years, there has been good cultural awareness in these areas through group media and public awareness has increased significantly. We are now less likely to see compassionate behaviors from people and if we encounter a problem somewhere, people are willing to help.

How is the family?

Unfortunately, the behavior of many families towards disabled individuals is insulting and undesirable, and they subject people with disabilities to physical, mental, and even sexual abuse. Unfortunately, we still do not have a law to address disability abuse in Iran, and the responsible party – meaning the Welfare Organization – has no supervision over the behavior of families towards disabled individuals. As a result, the disabled individual becomes a victim and their voice is not heard.

You recently had a trip to southern Iran and wrote about the memories of this trip on your personal Facebook account for your friends and followers. What made you think of going to the south and what major challenges did you face in preparing for this trip or during the trip itself?

The reality is that due to physical and emotional abuse from my father, I had a very bad mental state and all necessary steps had been taken by a dear friend to separate me from my family and stay in a shelter in Gonbad Kavous. They were just waiting for my readiness to go to the shelter. However, a Facebook friend suggested that I go on a trip and stay away from the stressful environment for a while so that I can make a calmer decision about the shelter afterwards. I agreed and since it is winter, the only place with suitable weather is in the south of my country. I chose Bandar Abbas, the islands of Hormuz, Qeshm and Kish and went with a companion. The most important problem was financing the trip, which fortunately some friends helped with. The next problem was getting train and plane tickets, which in the comprehensive law for supporting the disabled, it is explicitly stated that plane and train tickets and intercity bus tickets should be half price

What challenges do you face in having a personal assistant or caregiver?

Considering my severe disability and my father’s old age (he is 77 years old), having a nurse is truly necessary and essential for me. However, it requires a huge cost. Hiring a nurse costs around 2 to 3 million tomans, which is beyond my and my father’s ability to provide. In the comprehensive law for supporting the disabled, it explicitly mentions the payment of nursing fees for severe disabilities; however, it is not currently being implemented.

Is the support provided by welfare or other institutions satisfying?

Although the disability pension has increased from 53,000 tomans two years ago to 161,500 tomans, this amount is by no means sufficient to cover the minimum expenses of a disabled person. The cost of living, such as buying food, as well as expenses like water, electricity, gas, telephone, internet, and transportation, medical and especially dental and rehabilitation costs have significantly increased and the majority of disabled individuals do not have supplementary insurance. However, food packages are distributed by the Welfare Organization. Furthermore, the sanctions imposed by the United States and the increase in currency prices have caused, for example, the price of a standard wheelchair made in Germany, which was less than 2 million tomans last year, to now be more than double. The law states that “the government is obligated to provide living expenses for individuals with severe and extreme disabilities who are unemployed and have no income at the minimum annual salary and allocate the necessary funds in the annual budget laws of the country”; however

If you could talk to the officials, what request would you have from them?

First, they should make an effort to fully implement the comprehensive law for supporting people with disabilities and allocate 100% of the necessary resources. Secondly, they should draft and approve a law against disability discrimination and monitor the living conditions of people with disabilities at home. They should also plan affordable tourism trips for these dear individuals. Lastly, they should promote cultural awareness for marriage among people with disabilities, as sexual needs and marriage for a disabled person are still taboo in Iranian society.

Thank you for the opportunity you have given us.