This e-course builds upon the educational offerings and social media discussions Tavaana has cultivated for Iranian civil society on the status, needs and rights of Iranians with disabilities. Students in this e-course will survey the history and current state of disability rights advocacy internationally as they analyze emerging efforts in Iran. Iranians with and without disabilities will learn about the social and historical construction of disability; social stigmas, myths and misunderstandings about people with disabilities; national and international frameworks for disability rights, from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to Iran’s Disability Protection Act of 2004; current legal, social, and structural barriers to full equality and participation of Iranians with disabilities and the need for enforcement of existing protections; and the agency and capacity of people with disabilities. Students will learn techniques from successful campaigns such as Russia’s Perspektiva and the Breaking Down Barriers Film Festival; India’s Disability Rights Group and the passage of the Disability Act of 1995; and Indonesia’s Program Peduli for economic empowerment. Students will develop an understanding of disability rights as human rights and gain practical know-how to advocate for inclusive urban planning, social services, education, employment, family and community life and more.
