Akar, General Director of Disabled and Elderly Services: There are 4.5 million disabled individuals in Türkiye

The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) Commission to Investigate the Problems of Individuals with Disabilities convened under the chairmanship of AK Party İzmir Deputy Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu. After Kasapoğlu opened the meeting, Yasin Akar, General Director of Disability and Elderly Services at the Ministry of Family and Social Services, briefed the MPs on the situation. Akar said, “According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), individuals with disabilities constitute approximately 15 percent of the world's population, or an estimated 1 billion. In our country, according to the population and housing survey conducted by TurkStat, the proportion of the population with at least one disability is 6.9 percent. The number of individuals with disabilities registered in the National Disability Data System, which is based on the Disability Health Board reports, is approximately 4.5 million. The work under the responsibility of our Directorate General is divided into four areas: efforts to protect and develop the rights of people with disabilities, and to encourage their implementation; protective, preventive, educational, and rehabilitative efforts; care and support services; and investigations and research. Our 2030 Barrier-Free Vision Document, which serves as the foundation for our national pillars and policies, was announced in 2021. This document aims to ensure that the legal, institutional, and practical steps necessary to protect and develop the rights of people with disabilities in our country are implemented with a rights-based approach and strong coordination.”

Akar, discussing the policies included in the Disability Vision Document, described the efforts made to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities to social life. Akar stated, "As of December 2014-2024, 62,100 inspections were conducted. Official data is collected from provinces on a six-month basis. Accessibility Certificates are issued for buildings, open spaces, and public transportation vehicles that are determined to comply with accessibility standards as a result of inspections. As of December 2024, a total of 3,856 Accessibility Certificates have been issued. The logo can be used on buildings, open spaces, and public transportation vehicles that have received accessibility certificates as a result of inspections, as well as on printed and digital publications and visual materials determined to be accessible by our Ministry. To raise awareness, knowledge, and consciousness, an Accessibility Guide and an accessibility animation film were published, and the Accessibility Support Project (ERDEP) dissemination projects were implemented. Accessibility training was provided to more than 29,000 managers and technical personnel for various target groups to implement accessibility legislation and standards." Akar also added that work is ongoing to make the Turkish Grand National Assembly website accessible to people with disabilities.

'IT EXCEEDED 5 BILLION LIRA IN ISTANBUL'

Akar noted that people with disabilities can use many means of transportation free of charge to access social life. In response to AKP Ankara Deputy Jülide Sarıeroğlu's remarks, "We need to address this transportation issue separately. We receive problems and requests in this area as well, and payments are made through municipalities," Akar said, "There's a problem with that: We make payments to municipalities, and municipalities make payments for the current month's public buses registered with them. However, while we're currently making payments, some municipalities, including metropolitan municipalities, have not been paying public bus owners for about a year and a half. So, in Istanbul, it's probably over 5 billion lira, right?"

DHA

Reporter: News Center