A Family Narration of Disability Experience in Iran

Abstract

Focusing on Mohsen Hosseini Taha, a person with cerebral palsy, and his family, this research explores the social and mental consequences of having a member with physical disability on a typical Iranian family. The oral narratives used in this research have been collected in a series of in-depth interviews with Mohsen, his parents, and his only sister, in 4 sessions or 10 hours of face-to-face interviews. The analysis of the interviews addresses several questions: How was Mohsen’s disability initially diagnosed and what were his parents’ first reactions? What have been the social obstacles facing Mohsen’s family’s efforts to practice a routine life within Iranian society? How has Mohsen’s disability affected his family’s life socially and mentally throughout the years? Finally, how well do core concepts of Western disability studies apply within a typical non-western family? The real names of the participants have been used with their permission.