BİLTEVT 2023: "International Congress on Accessible Informatics 2023", organized in cooperation with the Ministry and Manisa Celal Bayar University, started on 20 September 2023 in Eskişehir, hosted by Anadolu University.
In her opening speech, Ms. Elmas Esra CECELİ, Director General of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly, stated that the Congress would make significant contributions to obtaining up-to-date data on the current situation on the subject, identifying issues and proposing solutions and improving accessibility in information technologies and services, and thanked all institutions that contributed to the organization of the Congress and all institutions supporting the work of the Congress.
Emphasizing that accessibility was one of the most fundamental requirements for participation in social life, CECELİ said: "As the Ministry, it has always been our primary goal to develop policies and services to facilitate the lives of persons with disabilities by ensuring their accessibility. To this end, we have taken important steps to realize rights-based policies. First of all, we have strengthened the legal infrastructure with the "Law on Persons with Disabilities" in 2005. With this Law and its sub-regulations, we have created the "Law on Persons with Disabilities" of 1.500 articles in Türkiye. With the law, we have made it compulsory for buildings open to public use, open spaces such as sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, parks, public transportation vehicles and information and communication systems to be accessible."
CECELİ started her speech by noting that the "Monitoring and Evaluation System for Accessibility" was established in 2013. CECELİ added; "As the Ministry, the greatest support for the work on accessibility came from the highest level of government in 2020. For accelerating the practices in accessibility, ensuring physical, digital and mental transformation in the field and creating an accessibility culture, 2020 was declared as the 'Year of Accessibility' by Mr. Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, the President of the Republic of Türkiye." Explaining the work done in 2020 Accessibility Year, CECELİ said that the Accessibility Guide, which architects and engineers could refer to from the first stage to the last stage of the design, supported by three-dimensional visuals of architectural drawings as well as explanatory texts, was published, and that the " Monitoring and Evaluation Module for Accessibility -ERDEM", providing the opportunity to make self-assessment of making buildings accessible, was put into practice.
Explaining the "Accessibility Workshops" within the scope of the work in accessibility, CECELİ said, "The second work of the workshops has been the 'Web Accessibility Training' series. During these workshops, we have provided fundamental trainings to increase the level of knowledge and awareness in web accessibility.
Stating that the "Accessibility Logo", which had been used in the country since October 2021 in order to increase the visibility of practices in accessibility, was made available for "accessible information" and that the application area of the Logo, which was used in buildings, open spaces and public transportation vehicles entitled to receive "Accessibility Certificate", was expanded to be used in printed and digital publications and visual materials, CECELİ noted that "Accessible Libraries Workshops" were organized in cooperation with Manisa Celal Bayar University and Accessible Informatics Platform of Türkiye.
She underlined that 2030 Barrier-Free Vision Document was announced by Mr. Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, the President of the Republic of Türkiye, on December 3, 2021, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and that measures regarding the accessibility of information and communication technologies were included in the National Action Plan on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the implementation tool of the Vision Document, shared with the public in 2022, and that the Vision Document revealed the vision of the country towards becoming an inclusive society where persons with disabilities could realize their potential as equal citizens.
In her speech, CECELİ stated that the Ministry continued to work on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications without slowing down and that the preparation of legislation on the subject was ongoing. CECELİ thanked those who contributed to the organization of the Congress and concluded her speech by saying "We are here for an Accessible Türkiye, a Barrier-Free Life as Accessibility is for All!".
Following the opening speeches, awards were presented in 5 categories: "Barrier-Free Informatics Education Award, Barrier-Free Informatics Jury Special Award, Barrier-Free Informatics Public Service Award, Barrier-Free Informatics Student Projects Award, Barrier-Free Informatics Private Sector Award".
In the opening ceremony, speeches were also delivered by M. Özhan KALAÇ, Faculty Member of Manisa Celal Bayar University and Coordinator of the Türkiye Barrier-Free Informatics Platform, Dr. Barış GÜNAYDIN, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Eskişehir Branch of the Turkish Informatics Association (TBD), Ahmet AKDENİZ, Chairman of the Disability Committee of the Presidency of TRNC, Professor Oktay ÜÇER, Vice Rector of Manisa Celal Bayar University, and Professor Fuat ERDAL, Rector of Anadolu University.
In the Congress, attended by many experts from both Türkiye and abroad, RTÜK and Barrier-Free Media Access Studies, Rediscovery of Persons with Special Needs in the Digital Age / Autism, Eye Tracking and Innovative Teaching Techniques, Good Practice Examples in Education / AU Integrated School for Persons with Disabilities, Informatics Applications for Persons with Disabilities in Education, Literature for Everyone / Inclusive Publishing, Disaster and Barrier-Free Informatics, Informatics Applications for the Persons with Hearing Impairments as well as International Invited Speakers (Online), Studies on Persons with Visual Impairments and Barrier-Free Informatics, Autism Informatics and Vocational Education, Barrier-Free Informatics Applications in Private Sector, Disabilities and Informatics in Fine Arts Education, Evaluation of Educational and Administrative Outcomes in Terms of Groups with Special Needs in the Direction of Internationalization / Barrier-Free Informatics Qualification Frameworks, Corporate Barrier-Free Informatics Application Examples, TRNC Barrier-Free Informatics Studies (Online) and Academic Papers Sessions will be organized.
Within the framework of the congress, Disaster and Emergency Training for Persons with Disabilities will be held online in cooperation with Eskişehir AFAD and Anadolu University. The training aims to provide persons with disabilities with the knowledge and awareness to determine the correct course of action before, during and after disasters.
The Congress will end on September 22, 2023, where accessibility of information and services for all and the importance of information technologies in this regard will be discussed.