Rights of Disabled People Affected by Illegal Sanctions

Unilateral coercive measures and illegal sanctions against Iran have adversely undermined the rights of persons with disabilities, head of the State Welfare Organization of Iran, Ali Mohammad Qaderi, stated in an international conference. 
The drastic measures and heavy sanctions have made realizing the rights of people with disabilities “extremely difficult”, Qaderi was quoted as saying by IRNA at the 15th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The official, participating in the event via video call, noted that sanctions had increased the vulnerability of individuals with disabilities in recent years. 
He also pointed to a report by UN special envoy Alena Douhan who visited Iran back in May to observe the impact of cruel sanctions on the country. 
Daily rises in the price of equipment needed by the handicapped, inaccessibility of modern mobility equipment and the impossibility or difficulty of importing medicine were only a few of the factors affecting people with disability, according to her report. 
“Currently, part of these services and equipment affected by sanctions are being provided to persons with disabilities by domestic producers and knowledge-based companies,” Qaderi said.
He pointed out that Iran joined the international convention in its early years and has since adapted country laws to advance disability inclusion and accessibility. 
The Iranian government says the United States sanctions against Iran have targeted the general public, especially vulnerable groups like persons with an impairment or disability. 
The conference took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York between June 14 to 16 with major focus on a post-Covid world. 
“In reviving the society after the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve placed special focus on the needs of individuals with a disability,” Qaderi noted.