President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday announced Turkey’s “Barrier-Free Vision 2030,” a comprehensive document including an action plan for people with disabilities. At an event in Istanbul on International Day of Persons With Disabilities, the president vowed better opportunities for disabled citizens in every field.
The Vision document, spearheaded by the Ministry of Family and Social Policies in cooperation with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), revealed 107 different actions, concentrating on accessibility. The president, who outlined the plan before a separate event for the assignment of disabled teachers, said it would serve as a guideline for their work until 2030 and along with existing needs, the vision was conceived based on ideas derived from international experience on the issue and successful practices to improve the lives of the disabled.
“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, torture and mistreatment the disabled face. The president said they would introduce measures for efficient protection against such acts and early intervention, as well as legal protection against any discrimination against the disabled, who will be treated equally under laws.
The president also promised the introduction of new health services for the disabled, including new therapy services to address their health concerns and improved assistance for the care of the disabled at home by their families. He said the disabled would also have more access to risk reduction practices, referring to measures for protection against disasters, from earthquakes to floods.
On education, the plan will revise options for children with learning difficulties. Erdoğan said disabled children would have equal access to every level of education with their peers and will have a better monitoring process for improvement of their education. For disabled adults, more lifelong learning courses would be introduced. “We will also develop new employment models and our disabled citizens will have access to the jobs they dreamed of, the more qualified jobs. We will also provide more (financial) assistance to disabled entrepreneurs, and they will be given economic benefits like new tax regulations and income boosts. We are providing economic security for the disabled citizens by establishing a sustainable financial system for them,” he said.
