After building the capital Ankara's first barrier-free playground for disabled children, Altındağ Municipality is now implementing a charging station project for electric wheelchairs used by disabled individuals.
Altındağ Mayor Asım Balcı said they are striving to create accessible points for disabled individuals to adapt to social life and maintain their living standards at higher levels.
"We have therefore launched electric wheelchair charging stations for the disabled. These stations will provide convenience for disabled people using electric wheelchairs," Balcı said.
He explained that it is a crucial service for Altındağ and added that only a few provinces in Turkey have charging stations. "From now on, disabled individuals will be able to charge their electric wheelchairs at these stations at no charge. We have installed these stations at Hamamönü and in front of Ulucanlar Prison Museum and in Altındağ Municipality building where our people use them extensively. We will work to increase this number in accordance with demand," the mayor said.
Harun Değirmenci, a disabled person who charged his electric wheelchair at the Hamamönü station, expressed his satisfaction in making use of this service, saying, "I was carrying a spare battery with me while I was going out. Sometimes I requested from others to use their electricity. Not everyone allowed me to, with some of them saying that this would harm their wheelchair. It was really a big problem for us. Thanks to this charging station, a major problem has been solved. I can charge my electric wheelchair in 30-40 minutes and be on my way."
He extended thanks to the Altındağ Municipality and Mayor Asım Balcı for introducing this service.
Disabled individuals using electric wheelchairs can charge their wheelchairs through an accelerated charging system at the charging stations installed for them in Hamamönü and in front of Ulucanlar Prison Museum and also in the Altındağ Municipality building.
The stations are capable of charging three wheelchairs simultaneously. So, disabled individuals who go out using an electric wheelchair can freely join social life without worrying about their batteries running out. This can be considered as a major step in improving the quality of life of many disabled Turkish citizens residing in the capital city.
