Let's get over the Handicaps Together!

Tourism for All Turkey  is the  Turkish Voice for Accessible Tourism.  They are a national charity dedicated to making tourism welcoming to all.

Tourism is important to our lives, giving us something to look forward to, time to enjoy our families, a chance for adventure, or perhaps some time to ourselves, to recover, and acquire memories of happy times.  In the past, some of us have encountered barriers to our participation in tourism - those with disabilities, older people, carers of young people or disabled or older relatives - Tourism for All works to overcome these. 

In this website we offer information to help you find where you can go, stay or visit.  We offer sound advice and assistance to the business or public body who needs to make changes to become more accessible.  We offer an active network, passing on info about the best, and seeking to help change the worst - please take part in this with us by registering with the site, and/or becoming a member. 

Institutions for Handicapped People in Turkey

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality  Directorate of Handicapped People was founded in 1994.

Their Aims are:

1- To develope their capacities

2- To make their life standart reach on a higher level

3- To help them while getting more independent

4- To make them get their shares from the social developments

5- To make them create for the social production

Their Services are:

Information, Coaching, Consultant, Medical Rehabilitation Psychosocial Services, Medical Help, Employment, Rehabilitation with Sports, Summer Camp, Social and Cultural Organizations, Library, Legitimate Rights, Adaptation of the Handicapped People , Adaptation of the Society, Denver Test

CAGLAYAN MENTAL DISABLED VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION CENTER

In here the mental disabled people are educated about sports, handicrafts(jewelry-silver etc.), ornamentation, paper marbeling, art, music, landscaping, folk dances, and hygene.

MAIN ETIQUETTE AND RULES IN COMMUNICATING WITH DISABLED PEOPLE

Focus attentionon the person, instead of on the disability.

Disabled persons should be treatedlike anyone else.

Avoid prejudices linked to the outward appearance of a disabled person.

Avoid a childlike or a pitying attitude towards a disabled person.

Realize that disabled persons are no braver than anyone else.

Always include the disabled person(s) in the conversation he/she might also have interesting things to say.

In a conversation with a disabled person accompanied by a personal assistant, address yourself directly to the disabled person, not the personal assistant.

Always ask if the person needs help, do not assume he/she does.

Let the person express his/her needs, do not make assumptions.

FOR HOTEL OWNERS

Make sure your hotel provide some adapted rooms. An adapted room isa larger room including an adapted bathroom and widerdoors.

In the public area, provide ramps, adapted toilets and accessible lifts with indication in Braille, and if possible a voice system announcing the floors.

Allow assistance dogs under any circumstances

LEISURE ACTIVITIES

For excursions or trips, plan to order adapted vans/buses, enquire about the accessibility level of the places to be visited, ensure that sufficient accessible hotel rooms (adapted bathroom, large room, wider doors,…) are available for disabled participants.

In sports activities, offer an accessible building or centre, including accessible changing rooms and easy access to the sport area.

For any activity, make sure that your leisure venue includes at least one accessible toilet, accessible buildings including indications in Braille.