A few years ago nobody in Diyarbakir would have imagined "Handicapped Tourism." But now hundreds of disabled tourists are coming to the city to visit.
The trigger for a handicapped-friendly city came about as a result of the formation of a Handicapped Assembly, which helped to organise citizens so that they could better advocate for improvements. The informal group came about in 2003 and ultimately led to it gaining official status in the Diyarbakir Municipality in 2005.
Speaking to SES Türkiye, Keziban Demir, the director of the Diyarbakir Department of Social Services' Handicapped Office and a member of the Handicapped Assembly executive council, said the association formed to bring various handicapped groups in the city together under one roof.
"In Diyarbakir there were several associations dealing with the handicapped, but we didn't associate with each other. Some of us were in the same building as next door neighbours, but we didn't even drink each other's tea," he said.
"In such a situation healthy projects and long lasting solutions couldn't be developed. We couldn't express our problems and we saw each other as competitors. By forming the Handicapped Assembly we were able to unite under one roof and combine the efforts of 20 associations," Demir said.
Changes to help improve the situation of handicapped are not only happening in Diyarbakir, but reach around the country after a 2005 law to integrate handicapped needs into urban planning was passed by parliament.
But Diyarbakir was ahead of other cities, said Ramazan Serin, a member of the Handicapped Assembly's executive board. Even before the 2005 law, the assembly made preparations and requested funding to have handicapped friendly signs and stones laid on the sidewalk to make walking easier for the blind, Serin said.
Members of the Handicapped Assembly believe the changes made to the city have resulted in a "mental revolution" for citizens, who are now more aware of handicapped issues.
The key pillar of that change is providing space for the handicapped to participate in society and making others aware of those needs. The assembly has stepped in to inform everybody from constructors and architects to municipal officials of special needs. In some cases it is as simple as having building entrances that are wheelchair accessible.
The assembly's efforts have come with a number of successes, including a park for the blind and physically handicapped that is about to be finished.
"This park is entirely for visually and physically impaired citizens to stroll around with ease, a place where they can play games and sports. Slowly with these changes, people have developed a consciousness about the handicapped. Now they can see our presence," Demir said.
While members of the Handicapped Assembly want others to be aware of their situation, they also don't want people to feel sorry for them.
"The situation of the handicapped is not something to feel sorry about. We are people that can live normal and fulfilling lives, and have feelings like everybody else," Serin said. The handicapped are more independent than many other people, he added.
For example, the assembly has a folklore team that plays on stage, Serin said, "but unlike Jennifer Lopez we don't need 30 people to help us get on stage."
"We can solve our problems without feeling the need to rely on others. In that case, who is disabled? There's a benefit to look at the situation in a different way," he said.
According to official statistics there are nearly 80,000 handicapped in Diyarbakir.
News Source: SETimes
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