There is good news for Turkish-media fans with audio or visual impairments. To increase the number of disabled-friendly cinemas, theaters and TV shows in Turkey, a new project "Erişim Haktır" (Accessibility Is a Right) has been launched with the support of the Ankara Development Agency, the Family and Social Policies Ministry and the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK).

Directors, TV and movie producers as well as members of Turkey's Audio Description Association, with the aid of participants with visual and hearing impairments, will gather on Nov. 7 to kick off the project in a workshop session in Ankara. The project team will discuss how to improve subtitle, audio description and sign language in the TV and film industries to be more inclusive to those with special needs.

Kenan Önalan, a counselor at the Family and Social Policies Ministry, and also the president of Turkey's Audio Description Association, said because audio and visual description is not widely available, the use and benefits of it are not generally known among Turkey's disabled population. However, through the efforts of a student team from Boğaziçi University founded in 2006, audio description at movie halls and theaters has seen some progress and improvement. In 2011, to more effectively apply the system, the association was established.

To promote the project, a series of adapted films will be shown from Nov. 6-9.