Undaunted by Physical Limitations, Disabled Woman in Iran Custom-made Her Own Motorcycle
Frustrated at the lack of accessibility for the disabled, 39-year old Zahara Sedighi came up with her own solution: an adapted motorcycle to get around her city Mashhad in the Southeast area of the country.
(Image taken from Euro News)
“I cannot use the bus, I cannot find a taxi. There is no transport for disabled people in society,” she lamented in an interview with the Euro News. As a child, her mother was even forced to bring her to school in a wheelbarrow.
The Iranian woman had suffered from Polio since she was young and was unable to walk as a result. However, this had not stopped her.
For the last seven years, she has been driving her specially customized motorcycle from place to place, which has definitely made transportation much more convenient for Zahara.
There’s a catch, though. Despite no formal Iranian law forbidding women from riding motorcycles, police still refuse requests for permits. In other words, Zahara is unable to get a driving license.
According to Zahara, she had tried to get a license but was turned down but the Head of Traffic Police, who had allegedly told her that he can’t give a license to a woman.
Adding fuel to the fire, her disabilities also lead to many difficulties due to the lack of proper service, systems and policies. Even with over 1.3 million disabled people in Iran, it appears there is no official policy to help make the lives of the disabled more convenient.
This has led to a new bill which is expected to be debated in parliament later this year; the Comprehensive Protection Act for Disabled Citizens would reform buildings and transport facilities in a bid to remove barriers for people with disabilities.
Currently, Iran’s vice-president for women and foreign affairs, Masoume Ebtekar, is also looking into Zahara’s situation.