As local elections are coming up in Turkey (29 March), Ziya Özden, general secretary of the Istanbul branch of the “Six Dots” Association for the Blind, has criticised municipalities for neglecting the needs of the visually impaired, and of the disabled in general:
“For years we have been visiting local authorities, especially in Istanbul, but also in other cities, and have asked for solutions to our problems. It is really the responsibility of the municipalities to come to us, but we have had to go up to them and ask them to create a better quality of life for the blind and other disabled people. But up to today, we have not made any progress.”
Özden criticised the fact that local authorities used legal loopholes to avoid fulfilling their responsibilities:
“Our biggest complaint is that the transportation system, roads, pavements, stairs in public buildings, doors, lifts and toilets have not been standardised to make them usable by the disabled.”
The association is calling for a disabled representative in all municipal councils and has listed its demands for local authorities thus:
A major issue for the disabled is mobility. Because, so Özden, many cannot find someone to help them get around, they are unable to attend social and cultural events, never mind following paperwork and going to institutions, or undergoing medical treatment and therapies. Thus, there is a great need for specially trained municipal personnel and specially-equipped vehicles to transport the disabled.
Municipalities should consult relevant associations, and disabled candidates should be given spaces on party lists that would enable their election into municipal councils. (BÇ/AG)