Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Restricted Accessibility
In Cyprus, we all have fixed views.
We have points of view that we have hard coded,
that make us inflexible, that have been imposed upon us.
Nothing in Cyprus changes.
Whatever you do, Cyprus is always the same.
Young people are growing up with this belief.
I frankly think that the Disability Rights Initiative has broken this habit.
Thanks to Gara Sandık
In April 2010, there was a Turkish Cypriot leadership election in Cyprus.
Many disabled people had an unpleasant
surpise when they went to the ballot box.
There were neither practical measures
nor regulations for them to vote.
One of these individuals was my mother.
The whole family went together
And we experienced
frustration, irritation and humiliation
which led us to take direct action.
The irritation and the social reaction after this incident
was covered by the media,
the reaction from both friends and the wider society
created unbelievable energy
which led to the birth of this initiative.
Disability Friendly Establishment
A little while later,
after we had started with just a march
and a signature campaign,
the authorities approved the United Nations Disabled Rights Agreement.
Mehmet mentioned earlier that his mother
was not able to vote in the election.
We decided to interview the same person, Faize Erdoğan,
and have it published in various newspapers.
We took this initiative because the general public
usually do not connect with the disabled
And are not aware of their experiences.
Tell me who will accept this inconveniece,
these obstacles, how?
Are we in an outdoor prison?
Are we not also human?
Remove all obstacles,
Cut these bonds
Enough is enough! We have been torn!
Let the days of freedom begin!
When we went to the establishments a month ago,
On the notifications we gave them,
We told them we’d return to Dereboyu with disabled people.
If their establishments had access for disabled people,
we’d present them with a green banner thanking them.
However, if they didn’t have access,
we’d stop with red banners giving a message of
“I’m being obstructed here,
I can’t eat an ice cream here,
I can’t have a chat with my family and
friends here in this restaurant,
My rights are obstructed.”
We don’t want to be obstructed.
It’s the most natural right for us to have access to all areas of life.
We took this initiative to prove our existence,
to remove our obstacles.
In this country,
there are many disabled people who
have a lot of unfulfilled potential
because of the obstacles we put in their way.
The obstacles we impose on them need to be removed
and we are the people to do that.
In the same way that we are the people who put those obstacles there,
we are the ones to remove them.