In recent years, Turkey has made strides in enhancing the accessibility of public spaces for the Deaf community. Turkish authorities have recognized the importance of inclusivity and implemented various measures so Deaf individuals can participate in public life. This initiative to improve accessibility in public spaces for deaf people in Turkey reflects moving towards an equitable society where the Deaf community can thrive.
Sign Language in Turkey
There are over 200,000 signers in Turkey using Türk İşaret Dili (TID), an isolated Sign Language that doesn’t share similarities with other languages in the region. The figures from the Joshua Project report the deaf population at 429,000.
Although TID has a long history of over 3,000 years, there wasn’t a lot of information until the 1980s. Before then, different regions of Turkey had a local dialect of TID. In the 1800’s, the Turkish government banned TID. This ban continued through the 1950s due to the emphasis on oralism. The government and education system didn’t see the purpose of using TID. There was a presumption that it hindered learning lip-reading. The ban ended with The Law on Disabled Individuals, established in 2005, and recognized Turkish Sign Language.
Why Accessibility Matters: Making Turkey Inclusive for All
Laws for the Deaf
The disability policies in Turkey, presented by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Social Policy and Family, seek to promote independent living, accessibility, equality, and anti-discrimination in all areas of life. The deaf community faces many obstacles. The goal of this policy is to minimize it and improve overall well-being and standard of living.
Employment
In employment, there is a labor law requiring companies of 50 or more employees to employ deaf people. The ratio should be around 3% employment in private businesses and 4% for the public sector. It creates an equal employment policy to promote support for deaf people in economic independence or employment training. It also strives for modifications in the working environment for deaf people. The main concern is that deaf people are not barred from public or private business when they have completed the necessary skills to do the job.
Education
The government policies under the disabilities law also make public education more accessible for deaf people. Oralism was the standard for deaf education in Turkey. In 1911, the Istanbul deaf school opened, but there are no records of TID in the cirriculum. Overall, Sign Language was ignored until 2005, when the disabilities act indicated that sign language is necessary for deaf students in school.
Even though the TID ban ended in 2005, there is still a long way to go. Verbal and audial education remained the premise of teaching, even for deaf students. Some individuals from the deaf community wanted to change that. Anlatan Eller is a program specifically for deaf students to receive an adequate education. It provides deaf students with an equal opportunity for educational endeavors. The programs show progress in its deaf students, with a 56% success increase at the high-school individual level and a 45% success increase at the university entrance exam.
Transportation
Access to public transportation varies across Turkey. For example, the transportation system might be more advanced in Istanbul than in a smaller town. It comes down to the initiative of the local government. In Turkey, The City Fix reported in 2010 that public transportation was stressful for deaf passengers. Developing countries don’t address the needs of these people. The major cities have some accessibility on the BRT (train system), like audible stop calls. It isn’t available in all major cities. There is work to do in this area everywhere in the country.
But, two years ago, in Ankara, Turkey, the EGO Bus Operation Department and the Ankara City Council collaborated on a project, “I Learn Sign Language Project.” The purpose of this project is to provide training to bus drivers for the deaf community in Ankara. While the training program is ongoing, the results have positively impacted deaf passengers and bus drivers.
Government and Healthcare Facilities
A report posted in 2012 by Daily Sabah, discusses the communication failures that the Turkish community faces in public places. The problem doesn’t pertain to physical things that make establishments more accessible. Something that deaf people need is an interpreter because communication is a core part of everyday life.
The lack of interpreters and trained staff in public places raises issues for the deaf community. It makes everyday things hard, but healthcare is the most crucial area. Why? Because ineffective communication and misleading the patient lead to false diagnoses, wrong medications, and inadequate treatment.
Deaf Turkish people like Cahine Deler suffered from the communication barrier. Deler almost died from an appendix burst. She couldn’t explain her symptoms to the doctor. There was no interpreter present during the consultation. People like Deler are brave enough to go to the hospital for such things, but other deaf people fear the communication barrier. Some are lucky enough to have family members who sign to assist them with the medical process.
Solutions in Healthcare
2005 was a year to resolve communication issues within the healthcare system. The Turkish Sign Language Approval and Scientific Board created interpretation programs to service deaf people. In 2007 and 2013, there were noticeable issues with the TID certification program for interpreters, such as weak exam guidelines and requirements. In addition, the applicants didn’t get to practice with native signers, putting them at a disadvantage in real-world situations. On top of that, they only learn basic terminology. The program was ineffective in serving the deaf people in Turkey.
However, the Ministry of National Education made new standards in 2020. The training program changed with more course hours for students. It also added elements to educate hearing people on deaf culture, stress management, and sharpening interpretation skills. This initiative, taken over by the Ministry of National Education, is a step forward for deaf people to have proper accessibility to healthcare facilities.
In 2016, a video conferencing app, ESIM, was launched for live interpreters to assist deaf people in the doctor’s office and book appointments. The system can also call an ambulance and file complaints against the healthcare system.
Restaurants and Shops
Turkey has a set of guidelines that businesses, like restaurants and shopping malls, are supposed to follow to make their establishments more accessible to everyone. There are often difficulties in getting into a place with hazardous sidewalks and doors that are hard to open. The other issue about deaf people is if any staff uses sign language or menus in restaurants in braille.
Luckily, in Turkey, there is a deaf and disabled-friendly website for the community to use, PinGoIN, which provides information about places that are accessible. It can help alleviate the frustration and make a more inclusive experience for the deaf community.
Every individual has the right to fully participate in public life, including the deaf community in Turkey. Public spaces are at the center of the community and should be more accessible to everyone. There should be no communication barriers keeping deaf people from using them.
For more information on public accessibility for deaf people, visit https://www.unspokenasl.com/
Thumbnail Photo by Caner Cankisi on Pexels
