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Vahid Hojat Salesman

Remember the first time you encountered a person with a disability. It could have been a family member, a friend, or a stranger that you saw at a place like a charity market or a rehabilitation center. If you have never had a close encounter with a person with a disability, I suggest you pause and ask yourself why before reading this text.

In that first time, what behavior did you show? Did you distance yourself from them? Did you try to help them? Did your heart ache for them? Or did you thank God that you are “healthy”? Whatever it may be, show a reaction that you would show towards a non-disabled person; natural and completely normal, like any other human being.

There are four perspectives through which one can view the phenomenon of disability and individuals with disabilities: The first perspective is a charitable one. From this point of view, a person with a disability is someone who needs the mercy and support of others in order to live their life without any difficulties or troubles. The second perspective sees disability as an illness that needs to be cured. The medical view uses all scientific and technological advancements to remove disability from the individual and turn them into a “normal” person in society. From a societal perspective, serving individuals with disabilities and their presence and participation in society is a social responsibility for governments and people. Individuals with disabilities are present in society because it is an advanced and progressive society that values all of its citizens. However, the fourth perspective is the most obvious and natural: individuals with disabilities should have access to all rights, facilities, and opportunities on par with non-disabled individuals; simply because they are human.

The human rights perspective on disability does not deny any other perspectives, but it gives them a new identity and life. In this perspective, practical kindness is desirable and should be carried out with respect for the human dignity of individuals with disabilities, with the goal of achieving self-actualization and individual independence for these individuals. If a person with a disability requires medical intervention, this service should be provided to them as a human right, not as a solution to their disability. Ultimately, if a society places individuals with disabilities in a position of superiority, it is not a source of pride for that society, but rather a right for all individuals and citizens of that society.

The International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been written based on this perspective. In fact, the convention does not create a new right for persons with disabilities, but only refers to their human rights in a way that is understandable and enforceable by governments and stakeholders. In essence, this convention can be considered as a “document for emphasizing the rights of persons with disabilities, as human beings living in this world.”

From several decades ago, numerous legal and civil efforts have been made to uphold the fundamental and basic rights of individuals with disabilities around the world, and from several years ago, in Iran as well. The Law on Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was passed in 2004, but it has not been fully implemented, leading to the formation of popular movements such as the “Campaign for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” and the approval of the Bill for the Defense of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2017 and its announcement in early 2018, which has sparked a glimmer of hope in society. But are these activities and legislation enough to provide individuals with disabilities with equal opportunities and a dignified place in society? Should this entire process be solely left to the parliament and government, and become subject to the decision-making turmoil of high-ranking officials, like many other phenomena in the country?

What percentage of our businesses are open and ready to utilize the abilities of individuals with disabilities? How many service providers and product manufacturers consider individuals with disabilities as a serious part of their consumer market in their design, production, and distribution processes? And more importantly, to what extent do ordinary members of society – those who go to work every morning and come back home at night – recognize and treat interactions, friendships, and dealings with a person with a disability, just like any other non-disabled person?

It is better to look at the issue from a human perspective again. Let’s ask ourselves, where are these 10 to 15 percent that are mentioned in the United Nations statistics, that we do not see? In a 24-hour cycle of our lives, how many people with disabilities do we see on the streets, at work, in stores, recreational places, etc.? What is the role of each of us in reintegrating these individuals into society? What have we done in our sphere of influence to ensure that the human rights of this part of society are not violated?

The rights of individuals with disabilities are a humanitarian issue and in order to achieve these rights, all humans – regardless of physical differences – must strive. The presence of individuals with disabilities in society is not a civilized gesture, but a human, social, and economic necessity. Imagine if each individual with a disability could contribute to the national production of the country according to their abilities. Each individual with a disability could play a significant role in society and contribute to the overall prosperity of the community. Ultimately, each individual with a disability could easily obtain what they desire and need, go wherever they want, and spend their income in stores, restaurants, or recreational facilities. And remember, we are not talking about a few hundred or thousand people, but millions.

We have easily lost and continue to lose the immense potential of this segment of our country’s population, because we do not have and have not had a proper understanding of this area. Regardless of what is stated in the law and what the law enforcers do, the fundamental question is how much citizens believe in and respect the human rights of individuals with disabilities. The main transformation should not take place in the law and budget, but in the mindset and attitude of each individual in society. The approval of laws, allocation of budgets, making streets and facilities accessible, both physically and digitally, will all be the result of this change in mindset; without the need for a massive effort like the one made to pass the bill for the defense of the rights of individuals with disabilities.

In the mid-century decades, numerous movements emerged to defend the rights of black people, women, children, and individuals with disabilities around the world. It is worth noting that in reality, none of these groups have rights beyond their own human rights, and ultimately, all citizens of a country should respect them, a right and that is the right to live freely and enjoy equal opportunities.

The magic wand of transformation in the lives of people with disabilities is a change in the perspective of society. The kindness that has a human perspective does not approach with pity, but rather aims to empower charities and organizations. A charity with a human perspective does not seek to separate the individual from society, but instead uses all its resources and tools to quickly remove the recipient from the cycle of support services and bring them to independence. Business managers consider the productive workforce of people with disabilities and provide the necessary conditions and facilities for their employment. Producers and service providers find a new and serious market that is worth investing in, and ultimately, every day that someone enters the street, we are one step closer to making all streets and alleys accessible.

Is it a desire to one day leave the house and see our neighbor next door with a wheelchair heading towards their workplace? Or for a deaf person to be a respected company manager? Or for a blind person to sit on the minister’s seat? Remember the day when an African American sat on the chair of the President of the United States, few remembered that less than half a century before, another African American in the same country had to buy the dream of sitting on a bus seat at the cost of humiliation, threat, and imprisonment.

We have this historic opportunity to lay a new foundation for our future generations, a foundation where humans respect each other; where one sees and listens to the other, where one who stands up also considers the one who is sitting. The road ahead is long, but we can take the first step right now; let us start by embracing critical thinking and being open-minded.