The inauguration ceremony for the railway information system designed for the visually impaired was held on Wednesday, October 17, with the presence of managers from the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, the Iranian Association of the Blind, Pactos Company, the Exceptional Education Organization, and the National Accessibility Task Force. 

According to the Iranian Association of the Blind’s Public Relations Office, the following individuals attended the event: 

Engineer Naderi (Director General of Construction, Installations, and Passenger Affairs of the Railway), Engineer Kazemimanesh (Director General of Tehran Province Railway), Ali Akbar Jamali (CEO), Engineer Mansour Shadkam (Deputy CEO), and Amir Sarmadi (Board Member) of the Iranian Association of the Blind, Dr. Barghi (Deputy of Education at the Exceptional Education Organization), Ms. Ghods (Expert from the same organization), Dr. Heidari and Khademolhosseini (from the National Accessibility Task Force), Engineer Saeed Sadeghpour (CEO of pactos Company), Ramin Farjad (Chairman of the Board of Pactos), and Engineers Sheikh Mehdi and Naeimi (Pactos experts). 

At the beginning of the event, Ali Akbar Jamali, CEO of the Iranian Association of the Blind, stated: 

“We are pleased to finally witness the launch of the railway system for the blind. According to the law, all organizations are required to make their services accessible to blind individuals.” He emphasized the creation of equal opportunities as a key achievement of the system and said the association would utilize all its communication tools to inform people visiting the railway stations about the system. He expressed hope that by the end of the year, similar systems would be launched in high-traffic provinces such as Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tabriz. 

Engineer Mansour Shadkam, Deputy CEO of the association, continued: 

“First, I’d like to congratulate Ms. Dr. Sadegh on her appointment as Minister of Roads and Urban Development and Dr. Zakeri as the CEO of the Railway. As stated in the Comprehensive Law on the Protection of the Disabled, all organizations must make their services accessible to the blind. This law was passed in 2017 and communicated to all agencies in 2018.” 

He added: “If we want to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, we must create proper facilities and conditions for them. Justice—especially for those who are deprived of social services—must be one of the primary concerns of the Islamic Republic.” 

Shadkam also highlighted the need to make the railway’s website accessible: “Today, many services are delivered online. Blind people should have the same ability as others to buy train tickets online.” 

He thanked Engineer Naderi and his team, explaining that based on past meetings, it was agreed to pilot the system in three provinces: Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, and one other. 

“Although it took two years, we now celebrate the launch in Tehran. This is a promising step. We hope additional stations will be equipped with the system by year’s end. 

There are 50 high-traffic stations nationwide, and we expect all to be made accessible. Railway officials may need to submit this plan as an accessibility project to the Ministry of Roads to secure the required funding.” 

Next, Dr. Barghi, Deputy of Education at the Exceptional Education Organization, remarked: 

“The Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was passed in 2004 and revised in 2018. Iran is among 40 countries that have such laws, though many of its provisions remain unimplemented.” 

He emphasized that accessibility plans must consider all types of disabilities to ensure safe and inclusive travel. 

“There are around 8,300 blind or visually impaired students in special and inclusive schools. We try to provide necessary educational and rehabilitation services for them, though we are far from ideal. There is a pressing need to work with other organizations to acquire assistive devices for schools.” 

He referred to portable smart Braille displays that had been purchased in the past and are now available in some schools, like Narges School. 

“We aim to purchase more Braille tablets and distribute them in special schools with the support of charitable organizations.” 

Engineer Ramin Farjad, Chairman of the Board of the knowledge-based Pactos Company, shared: 

“The origin of this project goes back to a visit by Engineer Mansouri to a technology exhibition, where he and his colleagues became interested in working on physical accessibility at railway stations.” 

He explained: 

“The Iranian Association of the Blind proposed a plan that was implemented by Pactos experts. It allows blind individuals to read embossed station maps with their hands and receive information using a Braille display device and text-to-speech software.” 

Farjad also thanked Dr. Jokar, whose follow-ups helped make the project a reality. 

Engineer Naderi, Director General of Railway Construction, Installations, and Passenger Affairs, welcomed all attendees and said: 

“While what has been accomplished so far may not fully meet expectations, it’s a meaningful start. One reason for the delay was the time needed to install tactile paths for the blind at the station.” 

“Once these installations were complete, we decided to launch the system. More tactile lines will be installed, and we hope to equip another station on the busy Tehran–Mashhad route by the end of the year.” 

At the end of the event, Amir Sarmadi, Board Member of the Iranian Association of the Blind, demonstrated the system’s capabilities: 

“The station’s map is embossed on special paper with all station facilities marked: information desk, shops, restrooms, baggage gates, lockers, and ticket counters—all shown using specific symbols.” 

He added: 

“The system includes Version 4 of the Braille display and custom software for the blind. It contains descriptions of the station, searchable symbols, general railway information, and complete details of trains—including berth and seating arrangements—all available in audio and Braille formats.” 

“The system’s most important feature is converting the station’s digital announcement board into audio and Braille, allowing blind users to access real-time data like train arrival/departure times, train numbers, delays, and arrival schedules—thus ensuring equal opportunities for all.” 

The ceremony concluded with a ribbon-cutting to officially launch the Railway Information System for the Visually Impaired.