BREAKING STEREOTYPES WITH LIFE CENTERS

‘Everyone has a possible disability.’ This sentence probably raised a lot of attention, because disabled people are now able to get enough help for them to live life more freely.

When we look into the hardships disabled people go through, we see that it is caused by their environments. In the past, people looked at disabled people without any emphatic feelings and with misunderstandings. This year, we got to see that this perception has changed with the event that included BAUKSE Club’s participation. The reason of this is people are now more accepting thoughts to disabled people. We need to spread this acceptance not only on December 3rd of every year, but each and everyday. It’s so happy to us that Turkey became one of the leading countries in this area and showed how much it cared with countless ‘non disabled Life Houses’. As Bahcesehir University, we got to show our own support to disabled people with participating in one of these life centers by Besiktas Municipality’s opening ceremony with BAUKSE’s participation.

When we look at these centers closely, these places are safe environments for disabled people to interact with each other, grew social circles and be safe while doing it. They are offered job opportunities like normal citizens and their adaptation process to daily life is easier in this environment. As Bahcesehir University and BAUKSE, we were there to support them. We witnessed their happiness. After the ceremony, participants march down to Fulya Art Center in Fulya

During the programme, Beşiktaş Mayor Lw. Murat Hazinedar, Disability Coordination Center President Murat Demirok, Altınokta Blind Society’s President Ziya Öndem talked about the hardships of a disabled person. Speeches were followed by dance shows, solo and choir performances and a photo exhibition. Many people who worked at the organization were disabled as well. This shows us that only disability out there is in our imagination. One of displayed success stories was 14 year old Nil Şahin who has “Spida Bifida Anomality”. Having a record in swimming, Nil is a perfect example for our disabled citizens. Our university’s BAUKSE club was also given an award. We are very happy and offer our thanks to everyone.

We spoke with one of our university’s students as well as Murat Demirok’s son Deniz Demirok. Deniz’s father is blind and his mother has limited eyesight. He believes that you can get over anything. We realized that we always get stuck on unnecessary things in life while listening to his father’s story. Being a street salesman, one day while he was escaping from the police, Murat Demirok slips and falls down the sea near Haydarpaşa Train Station and hits his head. Injury leaves him behind losing his eyesight. This unfortunate event makes him hold onto life even more, rather than making him give up. Deniz said that his event never made his father reflect the hardships on to Deniz. As Deniz tells, aside the hardships people witness, the pity they face is much more worse. This is why only thing they want is to be accepted and not pitied. Deniz says that they overcame a longhorn road full of hardships with his family and this is because of mutual love and success. Deniz believes that there are people who are stopped, not disabled by circumstances. He also added that we should not be afraid of defeat. We thank the family and Deniz for enlightening us.

And for our readers, let's win against all the odds and prove that only thing that stops us is our own minds.

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