Region: Asia
Disability Definition
Under the Care of Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs Act No. 38, a disability is “any restriction or lack of ability, resulting from an impairment or dysfunction, to perform an activity or interact with surroundings within the range considered normal for a human being.”
Legislation
The Iraqi Constitution provides that all citizens have equal rights and duties, irrespective of sex:
Guarantees to all persons with disabilities the right to freedom from all forms of discrimination, providing them with opportunities to develop their capabilities and engage in the development of society.
Employer Legal Requirements
The Care of Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs Act No. 38: “employers employing between 30 and 60 workers in the mixed sector are obliged to employ one worker with a disability or special needs from among those with the minimum required qualifications. If they employ more than 60 workers, persons with disabilities or special needs must account for a minimum of 3 per cent of the total.”
Accessibility Requirements
Circular No. 38832 issued by the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers: “The requirements of persons with disabilities must be taken into account in building design and project implementation. Such requirements include wheelchair access, conveniently located information desks, dedicated lifts, and the presence of an information officer designated to assist those with disabilities.”
Circular No. 7306 issued by the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers: “Information offices in government departments are required to identify areas reserved for persons with disabilities by displaying stickers showing the International Symbol of Access on the seats in those areas, which may not be occupied by other visitors. They are likewise required to provide mobility aids and easy access for visitors with disabilities; stationery materials and photocopying facilities for use during their visit; means of either communicating from the information office with the department sections they are visiting or of sending for officers to help them attend to their business; and additional adjustments to facilitate the process for such visitors.”
Cultural Norms
Iraq has had discriminatory legislation in place for many years, while having one of the highest numbers of disabled people in their population.
“The 1951 civil code gives the power to judicial authorities to deprive persons with certain types of disabilities, including intellectual, psychosocial, visual, and hearing disabilities, of their “legal capacity.” This deprivation strips the individual of the right to vote or to stand as a candidate in an election. The civil code also uses offensive and derogatory language to describe persons with visual, intellectual, sensory, and psychosocial disabilities.”
Recently, in 2013, Iraq’s parliament decided to join the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that would overturn some of the previous legislation by making persons with disabilities equal in all aspects of life.
Business Practices/Examples
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There is no completely accurate statistics about the population of disabled people in Iraq.
In 2013, The Ministry of Planning adopted a disabilities survey that allowed them to estimate that approximately 12% of the Iraq population is living with a disability which is more than 3 million people.
Supplier Diversity
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The Mental Disability Centre – For children 6-15 years of age; “The main function of these institutes is to provide educational, health, sociological and transport services and organize artistic and sports activities.”
The Physical Disability Centre – “to give those persons an education and facilitate their social integration through the exercise of their natural right to education and employment opportunities in order to improve their standard of living, bring them into the labor force and utilize their capacities in a manner that benefits society.”