The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) hosted its “No Barriers to Goodness” program on Sunday in Ankara, bringing together "barrier-free" volunteers whose resilience, operational dedication and humanitarian impact continue to drive inclusive participation nationwide.
Kızılay President Fatma Meriç Yılmaz emphasized that resilience in humanitarian work is measured not by the absence of hardship but by perseverance. “What matters is not avoiding a fall but standing up and continuing to walk despite it. You, as the Barrier-Free Red Crescent Organization, are teaching this lesson to the entire Kızılay family, its volunteers and, in fact, all of Türkiye,” she said.
She noted that the Barrier-Free Red Crescent, established in 2021, now operates in 117 locations and includes 44,000 volunteers with disabilities, actively contributing to humanitarian services across the country. Yılmaz reiterated that every individual, regardless of ability status, may encounter physical or emotional limitations throughout life due to disaster, health challenges or economic disruption. “Resilience is not defined by never falling; it is defined by rising,” she remarked.
Yılmaz highlighted that the structure serves as a direct reminder to individuals without disabilities, prompting the question: “What are you doing for goodness?”
Kızılay has positioned the Barrier-Free Red Crescent as a model institution within the International Red Cross-Red Crescent network, with Yılmaz confirming that the initiative has received the Henry Dunant Award, the federation’s most prestigious recognition. The model will guide similar implementations across member countries, expanding Türkiye’s inclusive humanitarian footprint globally.
Yılmaz affirmed that Kızılay will continue to provide comprehensive support to volunteers, noting that digital accessibility systems, adaptive service vehicles and technology-driven volunteer platforms are being developed in line with the 2026 national deployment strategy. These measures are designed to strengthen inclusive participation in local operations, emergency responses and social programming.
Barrier-Free Red Crescent Coordination Chair Yener Tanık underscored that the organization now functions as a benchmark within the international humanitarian ecosystem. He stated that collaborative efforts with the International Red Cross-Red Crescent Federation have positioned Kızılay as a leading authority in disability-inclusive humanitarian engagement, a distinction formally recognized in Geneva.
Kızılay confirmed that the expansion of the Barrier-Free Red Crescent to all provinces by 2026 remains a core strategic priority, supported by scalable technology, accessible logistics infrastructure and enhanced volunteer facilitation frameworks.
