Ayva calls for greater social involvement of the disabled

He added that Turkish society should change its stance toward the disabled and gave examples from his own life. Noting that he became blind at the age of 11, Ayva said: “When I became blind, my family stopped sending me to school because they thought there was no way I could continue. I had to struggle a great deal to continue my education. Then I dated a girl for four years and we decided to get married. But when my girlfriend told her parents about our intention, her father had a stroke and we had to end our relationship. Then I met the woman who is now my wife and we faced great difficulty in trying to convince her parents to allow us to marry. All these situations were caused by the fact that I am a blind man.” İstanbul Vice-Governor Mustafa Altıntaş stated that the disabled should be urged to play significant roles in the social realm because this is their right. Disabled Persons Administration Chairman Abdullah Güven indicated that their objective with the 3rd Disabled Council is to provide more systematic and comprehensive services for disabled people. “The disabled in Turkey should be given the opportunity to lead a life of the same quality as in the modern world,” Güven said.

Minister for Women and Family Affairs Nimet Çubukçu also made a speech at the conference. She said her staff would consult with experts to decide on which method to adopt regarding the care of disabled people and thereby establish the fundamentals of national policies for people with disabilities. Altı Nokta Association for the Blind head Turhan İçli, on the other hand, complained that nongovernmental organizations in Turkey do not attach enough importance to the disabled. “The problems of disabled people are resolved through the joint efforts of nongovernmental organizations all across the world. We are saddened by the fact that only 10 representatives from NGOs have participated in our council today.”