According to the Public Relations and International Affairs Department of the State Welfare Organization of Iran (SWO), Seyed Javad Hosseini, Head of the Organization, has issued a message on the occasion of International White Cane Safety Day.
The message reads:
October 15, corresponding to the 23rd of Mehr in the Iranian calendar, is internationally recognized as White Cane Safety Day—a symbol of independence, mobility, awareness, and the right of persons who are blind or have low vision to equal opportunities in their personal and social lives. Beyond honoring the abilities and achievements of these citizens, this occasion offers a valuable opportunity to review the performance of the government, executive agencies, legislative and oversight bodies in protecting their rights and removing barriers to meaningful social participation.
Today, our society faces difficult circumstances, including economic constraints and pressures arising from unjust sanctions. These conditions inevitably affect the development and inclusiveness of social services. Nevertheless, such challenges must not distract us from a fundamental principle: ensuring the equal, independent, and effective participation of persons with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision, is not merely a supportive measure; it is a legal, social, and humanitarian responsibility.
Under the Law on the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, enabling these individuals to participate in cultural, social, economic, and administrative spheres requires cooperation and a strong sense of responsibility on the part of all relevant institutions. This objective can only be achieved when persons who are blind or have low vision are recognized not merely as recipients of services, but as citizens entitled to equal rights, holders of valuable knowledge and experience, and important human resources within society. Their meaningful participation in policy formulation, decision-making, and implementation must therefore be ensured.
The State Welfare Organization of Iran, in fulfilling its statutory mandate and working in cooperation with civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations active in the field of visual impairment, considers the active participation of persons who are blind or have low vision a key strategy for empowerment, equalizing opportunities, and promoting social inclusion. We firmly believe that policymaking for persons with disabilities cannot fully address their rights and actual needs unless their voices are heard and their experiences, perspectives, and capacities are taken into account.
Accordingly, coordinated efforts by executive agencies, public institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, and the media to remove barriers to the social participation of persons who are blind or have low vision are essential. Improving the accessibility of public and urban spaces, developing accessible transportation, ensuring equal access to information, educational resources, administrative services, and information databases, and enhancing the accessibility of digital environments and cyberspace are among the measures that can strengthen these citizens’ independence and ensure equal opportunities for participation.
Accessibility, however, extends beyond modifying physical environments and providing technical facilities. In many cases, attitudinal barriers, prejudice, and a lack of public awareness create greater obstacles to the participation of persons with disabilities than physical barriers do. Promoting respect for human diversity, strengthening social responsibility, and improving public perceptions of the abilities of persons who are blind or have low vision must therefore go hand in hand with practical and support-oriented measures.
Writers, media professionals, cultural and educational institutions, and every member of society have an important role to play in this regard. Accurately portraying the abilities and achievements of persons who are blind or have low vision, avoiding pity-based representations, and emphasizing their rights to choice, independence, and participation can help foster a fairer and more humane outlook within society.
International White Cane Safety Day calls on us to look beyond visual impairment and recognize people’s abilities, talents, and human potential; to identify and remove barriers; and, rather than making decisions about persons who are blind or have low vision, to create opportunities for them to participate in decision-making. Let us see people who are blind more clearly: by recognizing their rights, believing in their capabilities, and ensuring equal opportunities for their independent and meaningful participation in all areas of social life.
I extend my sincere congratulations on International White Cane Safety Day to all persons who are blind or have low vision, their esteemed families, social activists, specialists, and advocates working in this field. I hope that, through stronger cooperation among all relevant institutions and the active participation of persons with disabilities themselves, we will take more effective steps toward removing barriers, realizing citizenship rights, and building an accessible and inclusive society that offers equal opportunities to all.
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