A total of TL 1.26 billion ($85.08 million) in financial support has been transferred into the accounts of citizens with disabilities, Family and Social Services Minister Derya Yanık said in a statement on Sunday.
According to the statement, the aid aims to help Turkish citizens who require domiciliary care due to their disabilities. “We are supporting our citizens who cannot work because of having to undertake the care of a relative,” she said.
The minister said that over half a million citizens receive the support. “We are providing 535,000 citizens TL 2,354 of aid each month,” Yanık noted.
On Dec. 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced Turkey's "Barrier-Free Vision 2030," a comprehensive document that includes an action plan for people with disabilities. At an event in Istanbul, the president vowed better opportunities for disabled citizens in every field.
The document, spearheaded by the Ministry of Family and Social Policies in cooperation with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), revealed 107 different points of action, concentrating on accessibility. Prior to attending a separate event for the assignment of disabled teachers, the president outlined the plan that he said will serve as a guideline for their work until 2030 to address existing needs. The vision was based on ideas derived from international experience on the issue and successful practices that have improved the lives of people with disabilities, he noted.
"We attach importance to accessibility for our disabled sisters and brothers. Our plan will boost their inclusion in daily life, from cultural events and sports activities. It will extend accessibility options in everything, from housing to transportation and communication services. We will remove all obstacles for the disabled aspiring to join politics," Erdoğan said.
The plan also delves into the exploitation, abuse and mistreatment of those with disabilities. The president said the government would introduce measures to protect vulnerable people from such acts, promising early interventions and legal protections that prevent discrimination against disabled people, who will be ensured equal treatment.
The president also pledged to introduce new health services for the disabled, including new therapy services to address their health concerns and improved assistance for families caring for a member with a disability at home. He said that people with disabilities would also have greater access to risk reduction training, referring to emergency measures for events like earthquakes and floods.
The plan, drafted after lengthy discussions and workshops, includes strategic goals, raising awareness, accessibility challenges, bolstering administrative measures, inspections, the regulation of accessibility services and better-integrated intersections between different methods of public transportation so those with disabilities can get around more easily.
The ministry also developed a smartphone app to help people with disabilities with tasks like travel planning and purchasing tickets, offering live and on-site assistance. Currently, people with disabilities already benefit from several options provided by the government, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu has said, highlighting that wages are delivered to people whose disabilities prevent them from going to ATMs to withdraw money and the e-governance portal turkiye.gov.tr that is accessible to all as examples.
