Minister demands more accessibility for the disabled

ANKARA — Minister of Family and Social Policies Ayşenur İslam complained about public institutions' failure to comply with the ministry's accessibility standards for disabled citizens at an event on the occasion of Disability Week yesterday. İslam attended a meeting of the ministry board that monitors the situation of the disabled. She said the ministry set a deadline for implementation of accessibility standards in public institutions and municipalities for January, but despite standards set out by regulations and laws, those institutions have not complied with instructions to make public places accessible for the handicapped.

She stated that this failure to comply meant Turkey could not achieve progress in helping its disabled citizens and added: "This is a matter that should not be delayed. I would like to stress that starting today, we should make all cities, buildings, streets and public places accessible."

She noted that Turkey took "landmark" steps between 2002 and 2014 for the rights of the disabled and introduced disabled citizens to the "social state." She said their government worked to prevent discrimination towards the disabled, to diversify services for them and through laws and regulations help the disabled to more fully participate in social life. "Measures to help our disabled citizens to execute their rights are not a privilege granted to them but rather their basic human right," she said. İslam cited that in 2007 Turkey signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

On implementation of accessibility standards, İslam said: "It is only possible to achieve the standards through coordination and cooperation between relevant agencies, and our ministry's board of monitors fulfills this mission. Nevertheless, although we can implement better regulations for people with disabilities, those regulations will fail without social conscience and awareness of the situation of the disabled. We want a better future for the disabled, and this is possible if they can live their life without any problems, with access to everything and the ability to live independently."

The disabled -- who make up 6.9 percent of the population -- face challenges in some cities where sidewalks and mass transit have not been modified for accessibility. Öznur Çalık, a lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) who is known for advocating their rights and accessibility for the disabled, outlined the government's efforts for people with disabilities in a written statement she released on the occasion of Disability Week. Touching upon the accessibility issue, Çalık said all public transportation vehicles and ferries and buses operated by private companies will be modified for accessibility by July 7, 2018, in line with a new regulation that sets the deadline.

Listing the government's services to the disabled, Çalık said that disability benefits rose to TL 725 from TL 24 in 2002 and that in 2007 the government started a program for subsidizing home care for the disabled. She noted the government earmarked over TL 4 billion in the 2014 budget for public services to the disabled.