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This blog post about people with disabilities in Turkey. Even if you are not a member of the disabled community, we are all candidates to become one. So it is important to learn about the rights and benefits people with disabilities in Turkey have.
Disabled people are faced with discrimination and obstacles, with each passing day, problems that prevent them from taking part in society on an equal basis with others. They face problems with issues where everyone should have equal rights, such as being involved in the school system, living in the community, moving freely, voting, participating in sports and cultural activities, enjoying social security, access to justice, and choosing medical treatment.
The protection guaranteed in other human rights treaties and contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be applied to all. However, although the disabled have remained mostly invisible, in recent years, a revolutionary change has been experienced at a global level and with an approach close to the protection gap, and efforts have been made to focus on the rights of disabled people in order to ensure that disabled people enjoy equal standards, rights and dignity like everyone else.
Disability rights in Turkey are the general name given to the rights that provide positive privilege to disabled people in order to ensure that disabled people have access to equal rights, such as non-disabled individuals, due to the current disability situation. In accordance with the Official Turkish Gazette dated 3 May 2013, in some previous official definitions; The use of the phrase disabled instead of expressions such as handicapped, disabled or rotten (not suitable for military service) is no more legal.
Rights And Benefits For People With Disabilities In Turkey
Environmental Architecture Access Right
Municipalities in Turkey must make proper adjustments to public areas of cities according to the disability act. Accordingly, sidewalks, pedestrian paths, residences and public buildings must be constructed in accordance with the accessibility of the disabled.
Right To Travel
Some discounts are applied to disabled people in public transportation. Unions, establishments and enterprises established by municipalities have to apply a 30% discount on people who certify that they are disabled at the rate of 40% in public transportation vehicles such as buses. In railway transportation, no fee is demanded for the disabled people with 40% or more, and 50% for the disabled and 50% and above. Some airlines also offer discounts for disabled passengers.
Special Vehicles for the Disabled
For orthopedically disabled people, legal facilities are also provided for vehicle purchases. No customs tax can be requested from the vehicles imported for the transportation needs of the disabled in daily transportation.
Persons with H-class driver’s license benefit from value added tax deduction for the cars with special equipment they buy domestically. In addition, it is exempted from vehicle purchase tax.
Special Consumption Tax is not charged to orthopedically disabled people when purchasing automobile type vehicles from vehicles equipped with a moving mechanism (modified) according to the disability condition.
Right To Education And Culture
In the field of education, the rights of the disabled are protected. In secondary education, hearing impaired students can be placed in vocational high schools without an examination.
Students who are entitled to enter a higher education institution can receive support from the Ministry Of Family, Labour And Social Services and the provision of auxiliary course equipment. The Credit and Hostels For Students Institution gives priority to students who certify that they have 40% or more disabilities and gives a 50% discount on the fee.
No fee is charged for people with disabilities of 40% and above who receive various vocational training programs in Public Education Centers. State Theaters do not charge the disabled people. In addition, the disabled theater receives financial support from the Ministry of Culture. Discounts are also available for the disabled in private theaters and cinemas.
Right of Communication
In the field of communication, the rights of the disabled are protected and discounts are generally provided to the disabled. Special communication taxes are not requested from disabled people, so companies providing private services can make discounts of up to 50%. Turkish Telecom applies a discounted Social Tariff Package for people with disabilities of 40% or more for fixed telephones. Mobile phone operator companies also apply discounts for people with disabilities of 40% or more. There is also a discount for people with disabilities for fixed internet lines.
Right to Work and Employment
In accordance with the regulation published in the Official Gazette dated October 3, 2011, all public institutions and organizations will be appointed by the ÖMSS (Disabled Civil Servant Selection Exam) and a lottery system for candidates who have not graduated from high school. Innovations with the ÖMSS regulation:
The exam will be held every two years and the validity period of the exam is two years.
There is no age limit for disabled candidates.
With the points to be received by the disabled candidate, the appointment approval will be concluded in a positive or negative way after the appointment approval commission consisting of 5 people to be determined by the institution before the appointment is evaluated whether the disabled status is suitable for the position applied by the disabled candidate.
Early and Invalid Retirement Rights
It is ensured that the disabled person can retire early in proportion to his / her physical capacity as well as his / her physiological responsiveness to the workable rate in the health report given to him / her depending on the physical and physiological characteristics of the disabled. While a healthy person pays insurance premium for 25 years under normal conditions, depending on the situation of the disabled person, it is possible to retire with disability in 15 years at the earliest. According to the wrongly paid premium calculation, the pension he received is 60% of the salary he received while working.
Retrospective request for the right to pay insurance premiums for periods when the disabled person cannot work, whether or not the person is disabled in the relevant legislation; Even if he does not work, the right to pay back the period of stay abroad (without any time limitation) as a retrospective premium borrowing is provided by the relevant legislation.
Guide or Assistance Dogs
Guide dogs (Hizmet Köpekleri) for people with a disability are not common in Turkey. There are private dog training companies to meet these needs but they are rare.
- Bakaçhan Kennel Club (in Turkish)
At: Sile Autoban, Harmanlik str No: 5, Istanbul
Tel: 0216 734 21 19
email
Associations for People with a Disability
Note: Most websites are in Turkish only.
- Solidarity Association for People with a Disability ( Physically Disabled Solidarity Association)
- Dragos, Mutlu Str. No. 4/1, Cevizli Maltepe, Istanbul
Tel : 0216 370 81 66/0216 370 26 26
email - Foundation for People with a Disability ( Physical Disability Foundation )
Horse: Çifteceviz Road Belief Business Center No. 9/3 34381 Sisli, Istanbul
Tel : 0212 343 7777/44460 00 - Turkish Foundation for People with a Vision Impairment ( Turkey Visually Impaired Foundation )
Osmena ğ a district.kirtasiye Str. Çandarlı Oğlu, Apt No. 32/3, Kadiköy, Istanbul
Tel : 0216 345 35 25 - Istanbul Foundation for Children with an Intellectual Disability ( Istanbul Mentally Handicapped E ğ Education Foundation – İZEV)
at Ali Sami Yen Str. No.11, Mecidiyeköy, Istanbul
Tel : 0212 347 02 27/28 - Foundation for the Hearing Impaired (IED)
At : 7-8 Section, Mimar Sinan Villa, Ataköy, Istanbul
Tel : 0212 559 87 97
email
