Comparative Policy Brief: Status of Intellectual Disabilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Abstract In the Islamic Republic of Iran, considerable stigma is attached to the presence of a family member with intellectual disabilities, and even in Iran's new constitution, a word with traditional, negative connotation has been retained to refer to persons with intellectual disabilities. While two government organizations have recently become involved with children who have intellectual disabilities, it is estimated that each reaches only a small number of those who need assistance. Applying a prevalence estimate of 2% means that around 360,000 children aged less than 15 years have intellectual disabilities, but just 1.3% of these are known to the Iranian Special Education Organisation. There are no data available on the population of adults with intellectual disabilities. All Iranian children deemed “educable” have the right to 8 years of free education, and those described as “trainable” receive healthcare and rehabilitation services chiefly provided by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). NGOs have been established to promote the education and welfare of those persons with intellectual disabilities. For adults, there are very limited opportunities either for work or for care. While laws about the rights of people with disabilities have been formulated, there is no mechanism to ensure that they are implemented. Key issues are to widen access to inclusive education; to provide early intervention based on community‐based rehabilitation methods; and to help families and society to initiate ways of providing employment for adults.