Disability Rights: Legislation, Policies, Services and Activism in Turkey

Disability Rights: Legislation, Policies, Services and Activism in Turkey

Dr. Cavidan Soykan & Dr. Muzaffer Kaya, Turkey
Host: Pinar Senoguz

When: April 21st, 18.00 – 19.30
Zoom: Meeting ID: 679 1373 8447 | Password: 2026
https://th-koeln.zoom-x.de/s/67913738447
(Login via Link: Please use the button below and not the host login /
Bei Login über Link: Bitte den unteren Button benutzen und nicht den Host Login). 

Since Turkey has become a part of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in late 2009, the first ever law on the persons with disabilities that was adopted in 2005, its legislation went through several changes both in terms of human rights perspective and disability vocabulary - but still has not met the established universal standards. The reason behind this delay is the reticence of the Turkish state. The changed law after the adoption of the CRPD provided up to eight years to the public authorities and the private sector for the application and implementation of the rules regarding accessibility alignment. This time frame has kept being extended with new legislation when the expected deadline passed. In this presentation, we will explain the reasons why disability rights in Turkey as a rights sphere remained weak compared to the other areas such as women’s rights or children’s rights. First, we will look at the legislative and policy revisions after Turkey’s accession to the CRPD and the huge and delayed gap in implementation and social services since then. Second, we will discuss why the state deferred setting up the infrastructure and the social reasons in relation to disability activism and different disability groups’ goals and expectations from the system. To clarify this point, we will evaluate the historical development and current situation of non-governmental organizations in the field of disability.

Dieser Einzeltermin ist Teil der DGSA ISA Ringvorlesung Sommersemester 2026
 

Inventing the Future –

Soziale Arbeit im Umbruch

Wirtschaftliche, soziale und ökologische Krisen auf der ganzen Welt verändern die Bedeutung und die Aufgabenbereiche der Sozialen Arbeit. Armut, Klimakatastrophen, Umweltzerstörung, Populismus und Rassismus, unzureichende Gesundheitsversorgung, prekäre internationale Menschenrechtslage und Zwangsmigration aufgrund von Kriegen und Konflikten führen zu tiefgreifenden sozialen Veränderungen.

Diese Online-Ringvorlesung, die von mehreren Hochschulen und der Fachgruppe Internationale Soziale Arbeit der DGSA organisiert wird, präsentiert aktuelle Projekte, Beiträge und Debatten aus verschiedenen Regionen weltweit. Sie bietet Einblicke in die vielfältigen Ansätze und kritischen Diskurse, die die Sozialarbeit heute prägen.

------------------

Economic, social, and ecological crises around the world are reshaping the scope and responsibilities of social work. Poverty, climate emergencies, environmental degradation, populism and racism, inadequate healthcare, precarious international human rights, and forced migration due to wars and conflicts are driving profound social change.

This English-language online lecture series, organized by several universities and the International Social Work Section of the DGSA, presents current projects, contributions, and debates from different regions worldwide. It offers insights into the diverse approaches and critical discourses shaping social work today.