Yazd Province is leading efforts to make city passages accessible for those with physical disabilities, according to Ebrahim Kazemi Momen Saraei, who leads the State Welfare Organization's efforts to make cities more accessible for the disabled.
He said 54% of passages and public places in the province are accessible by the disabled, with Kurdestan (41%) and Tehran (24%) rounding up the top three, IRNA reported.
As per the Comprehensive Law on Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - adopted in 2004 - all ministries, organizations, government-run institutions and companies are obliged to promote easy access of the disabled to city passages and public property.
According to the SWO, about 2% (1.5 million) of the population, including 400,000 in rural areas, are living with moderate to severe disabilities. Statistics show 8% of Iran’s population comprises seniors, and 40,000 are disabled every year.
Furthermore, improving accessibility will also benefit tourism, particularly in a province such as Yazd, home to world heritage sites and many ancient structures.
Catering to disabled tourists is not recognized as a profitable business in many countries, including Iran, although it could significantly contribute to the expansion of the tourism industry.
According to the World Health Organization, 10% of the world’s population suffers from some form of physical disability.
About 127.5 million travelers worldwide rely on accessibility while 89.3 million have the financial means to travel abroad for leisure. The size of the tourism market for the disabled is estimated at $180 billion.
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