Barriers to Accessing Services for People With Disabilities in Iran: Insights From a Scoping Review and Stakeholder Dialogue; [موانع دسترسی افراد دارای معلولیت به خدمات در ایران: مرور دامنه‌ای و گفتمان ذی‌نقشان] Publisher



Alizadeh N ; Gerivani H ; Bazrafshan A ; Sajadi H S
Source: Journal of Health Administration Published:2025

Abstract

Introduction: People with disabilities (PWD) face various barriers to accessing services. Identifying and addressing these obstacles is essential to ensure equitable service use and should be a priority for policymakers. This study synthesizes existing evidence on these challenges in Iran and suggests potential solutions. Methods: The research was conducted in two consecutive phases. In the first phase, a scoping review was conducted using selected keywords to search five English and two Persian databases. One researcher conducted the search, screening, and data extraction according to the inclusion and exlusion criteria. Of 7,985 studies identified, 82 were included in the review, with data analyzed narratively. In the second phase, a stakeholder dialogue session was held with 14 purposively selected informants to complement the review findings. A neutral facilitator managed the two-hour session, during which the findings were presented and discussed. With participants' consent, the session was recorded, notes were taken, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Of the included studies, 71 (86%) were published in English, and 44 (53%) were conducted after 2021. The primary objective of 67 studies was to identify barriers to access and propose solutions. Based on the review findings and stakeholder dialogue, seven main categories of barriers and solutions were identified: individual, cultural, communicational, financial, physical, institutional, and legal barriers. Conclusion: To improve access to services for PWD, policymakers should prioritize the development of physical and infrastructural facilities, support employment and economic improvement, empower professionals, enhance public awareness, and strengthen legal protections. © 2025 The Author(s); Published by Iran University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/4.0/), which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source.