Not enough services for Turkey’s disabled
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Anatolian News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 05, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Out of 50,000 blind people in Turkey only 2,600 receive an education, announced the general president of the Six Dots Foundation for the Blind yesterday.
Süha Sağlam told a reporter from the Anatolia news agency that the services provided by the government for Turkey’s disabled population of 8.5 million was not sufficient to meet the needs of the vast numbers of citizens that are in need of a solid education and extra help. Sağlam highlighted that only 5 per cent of the disabled population received a decent education that was in line with the national curriculum. Moreover, Sağlam pointed out that only 1 per cent of the population who are employable sought employment. "From our government we expect more efficient and lasting services for the disabled that will develop in conjunction with new services that are launched for the disabled across the world," Sağlam said.
Speaking on the topic of the lack of employment opportunities for the disabled Sağlam said: "The disabled are criticized for being forever dependent on their families but how can they break free from this dependency if they are not given any employment opportunities?"
Having monitored and assessed members of the Six Dots Foundation over the years, Sağlam said that the insufficiency of services also puts a psychological strain on disabled citizens as they are often confined to their homes, with little to contribute in their every day lives. "The government needs to increase the amount of benefits and opportunities it provides for its disabled population so that they can contribute to the future of their country both economically and socially," Sağlam said
As the Six Dot Foundation’s general president, Saglam proposed that the government focuses upon education for the disabled. He highlighted that in the entire country there are only 16 schools for the blind, and one of these schools closed last year as a result of the lack of attendance by pupils. Currently there are 1,300 students attending the 15 remaining schools. In addition to this there are between 1,200-1,300 pupils attending normal schools according to statistics released by the Ministry of Education. "Out of 50,000 blind citizens this percentage of students in not enough," Sağlam said.
While the government needs to take action on these issues, it is important to raise awareness among families according to Sağlam, who said it was crucial for families to encourage their children to go to school and participate in everyday civic activities.
Speaking on the topic of the lack of employment opportunities for the disabled Sağlam said: "The disabled are criticized for being forever dependent on their families but how can they break free from this dependency if they are not given any employment opportunities?"
Having monitored and assessed members of the Six Dots Foundation over the years, Sağlam said that the insufficiency of services also puts a psychological strain on disabled citizens as they are often confined to their homes, with little to contribute in their every day lives. "The government needs to increase the amount of benefits and opportunities it provides for its disabled population so that they can contribute to the future of their country both economically and socially," Sağlam said
As the Six Dot Foundation’s general president, Saglam proposed that the government focuses upon education for the disabled. He highlighted that in the entire country there are only 16 schools for the blind, and one of these schools closed last year as a result of the lack of attendance by pupils. Currently there are 1,300 students attending the 15 remaining schools. In addition to this there are between 1,200-1,300 pupils attending normal schools according to statistics released by the Ministry of Education. "Out of 50,000 blind citizens this percentage of students in not enough," Sağlam said.
While the government needs to take action on these issues, it is important to raise awareness among families according to Sağlam, who said it was crucial for families to encourage their children to go to school and participate in everyday civic activities.