10 February 2023
Answering questions from an Anadolu Agency reporter, the President of the Turkish Beyazay Association, Nejla Sümer, explained that close to 180 students with physical, intellectual and visual disabilities and with autism receive free lessons in music, sport, physical education and computing at the association's rehabilitation centre in Kartal.
Noting that the centre was operating at 50 per cent capacity because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sümer said that during the distance learning period children with disabilities most needed tablets and laptop computers.
The “Education Overcomes Every Barrier” campaign
Sümer gave the following information about the “Education Overcomes Every Barrier” campaign the association would launch on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, to support the education of people with disabilities:
“Under the campaign, which will collect donations across Türkiye for 1 year, we aim with a planned budget of 20 million lira to support the education of 7,104 students with disabilities and to touch their lives. Our campaign will be launched on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, together with all our branches across Türkiye. God willing we will reach the figures we want within 3 months. At the moment our children most need tablets and laptops, because most of our students are working from home. During the campaign we aim to give education grants over 10 months to 500 students with disabilities, 150 of them at secondary school and 350 at university. We will provide educational materials to 3,920 students with disabilities.”
Noting that 11.6 per cent of society consists of people with disabilities, Nejla Sümer said: “It needs to be understood that disability is not a defect but a form of the body. Our students experience some difficulties in inclusive education in the classroom. If it is accepted that disability is part of children's makeup, our children's education will not be disrupted.”