A ceremony was held at the Çankaya presidential palace yesterday on the occasion of the first anniversary of the launch of the “Education Enables” campaign. The ceremony was attended by many governors, artists and politicians. Delivering a speech, Gül said: “If families of disabled children deprive them of the opportunities provided by the state and nongovernmental organizations, all efforts for their education will turn out to be fruitless.” Appealing to the families of children with disabilities, she said: “You cannot protect your disabled children by isolating them in your house. To the contrary, you will leave them desperate when you have to leave them one day. Trust your children. Encourage them to hold on to life. Let them receive an education, participate in social life and make you proud through their achievements. Also, do not put obstacles before your children. Don’t forget: education enables.”
Speaking about the campaign, which aims to include all people with disabilities in the country and intends to better equip schools and other educational institutions to provide opportunities and make them accessible to the disabled, Gül said: “Thanks to this campaign, thousands of disabled students started school, and there has been a remarkable increase in the number of disabled children who are receiving an education at home. A total of 877 special education classrooms have been opened in secondary schools, and 14 new schools have been established across Turkey for the disabled.”
