3. International Disaster and Resilience Congress has been organized online and in AFAD campus in Ankara between 5-7 October.

Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ, who gave a speech at the session named Awareness of Community in Disaster Risk Reduction at 3. International Disaster and Resilience Congress said that notion of accessibility must be designed while processes during emergency, disaster, and panic situations are considered.

During disasters and emergency situations not only persons with disabilities but everybody needs accessibility.

Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ stating that earthquakes, floods, epidemics, fire we have been through recently in the world and in our world prove that we must always be prepared, said: “Our Ministry discharges the responsibilities of coordination of psychosocial support services and social aids during disasters and emergency situations”.

Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ stating that processes must be carried out carefully by taking persons with special needs into consideration, security skills according to inadequacy types will be improved through regular education with materials for security skills at houses, schools, workplaces and other public places.

General Director of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ said that not only persons with disabilities but everybody needs accessibility during disasters and emergency situations since evacuation processes can be a major problem for everyone.

He stated that law with 1.500 articles for persons with disabilities was created with Law on Disability came into force in 2005, it became an obligation for public buildings, pavements, crosswalks, parks, and public transport vehicles to be accessible.

In 2012 we established Accessibility Monitoring and Inspection System.

Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ said: “We founded committees in which NGO representatives for persons with disabilities along with public officials take place for inspections. In 2013 we prepared Accessibility Monitoring and Inspection Forms for inspection committees. We generalized accessibility for local administrations with applications carried out with our budget and technical information support. We prepared 2030 Barrier-Free Vision Document. We continue to prepare Disability Rights Action Plan.”

We accept applications and provide informing service through sign language support at Alo 183 call centre of our Ministry.

In 2018 we created a special budget for expenses on accessibility. We, also, send reminders to all Ministries on “Budget for Accessibility”.

15 thousand 582 people were provided education since 2011. Our works for education still continue.

In 2017 and 2019, we published important regulations in the Public Housing Laws that must be followed by designers, licensing municipalities and building inspection organizations for the implementation of accessibility standards. Last year, the biggest support for our accessibility work carried out as the Ministry came from the highest level of our State. 2020 was declared the "Year of Accessibility" by our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, in order to accelerate applications in the field of accessibility, to ensure physical, digital and mental transformation in this field, and to create a culture of accessibility.

We have accelerated our work that will contribute to the field in the Year of Accessibility 2020.

Under the heading of Communication, we have prepared introductory videos to Turkish Sign Language for students and teachers. These videos, which were prepared in order to draw attention to the communication of the hearing impaired with sign language, which is the most important need in terms of accessibility, were published in the distance education program in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education. Within the scope of increasing the level of knowledge and awareness, we have published the Accessibility Guide, which architects and engineers can refer to from the first stage of the design to the last stage. Within the scope of the said Guide, 136 plans, 73 perspectives and 108 sections and views were prepared to explain accessibility. Again, for the benefit of technical field members, we prepared the "Accessibility Animation", which is based on the Accessibility Guide, visually explains what needs to be done step by step, and is a simulation of accessible spaces.

Another important work of ours in the Year of Accessibility, we implemented the Accessibility Evaluation Module -ERDEM, which allows self-assessment to make buildings accessible. We have enabled anyone who wants to get a report on what needs to be done to make a building easily accessible via our Ministry website. In order to involve all social segments in the process, we decided to give the "Accessibility Awards" for the first time in the Year of Accessibility 2020. With the Accessibility Awards, public institutions and organizations, private organizations and real persons working in the field; to announce to the public the projects, practices and services that contribute to the participation of the disabled in social and economic life and to benefit from public services; we aimed to encourage the increase of studies in the field of accessibility.

By making a comprehensive planning on accessibility, which has a very wide service area, we received applications for the awards in 9 categories that deal with all aspects of accessibility. 1075 applications were made for our announcement, which attracted great attention. In addition to the jury's evaluation, the "Public Vote", which we organized with the words "You have your word", attracted great attention and a quarter of a million (249,473) votes were cast.

In 2021, we continue our accessibility works at full speed.

With the concept of “Accessibility Workshops”, we carry out studies to raise awareness and increase the level of knowledge and awareness. We carry out our "Pavements" work in workshops with municipalities and we have completed the first phase. As of September, we will continue to work with provincial and district municipalities in the second phase. In this context, 637 architects, engineers, technicians and managers working in the pavement construction and repair works of the municipality have participated in 25 workshops so far. The second work of the "Accessibility Workshops" was the "Web Content Accessibility Training Series". We started trainings on the accessibility of web pages for public institutions and organizations, universities and municipalities.

As TAIEX Project, we will organize the workshop titled "Barrier-Free Digitalization During the Pandemic", which has been accepted on access to information, shortly. One of the subjects that we attach great importance to this year in the field of accessibility has been “the accessibility of the emergency and evacuation plan and systems for the persons with disabilities”. If there is no accessibility, it is not possible to inform about an emergency, to evacuate the place where the emergency is experienced, and to provide the necessary appropriate maintenance conditions afterwards.

For example emergency alerts should be created in a way that individuals with hearing impairment can recognize and understand. As a matter of fact, it is seen that alarm systems or instructions that warn individuals in emergencies are often presented audibly. However, both audible and light alarm systems should be used so that individuals with hearing impairment can be aware of the danger. In addition, audible alarms for partially hearing individuals must comply with the relevant standards in order to sound adequately. Similarly, there should be both light and audible directions guiding the individual for the path to the emergency exit.

Since individuals with hearing impairment can benefit from their eyesight, visual, simple signage and pictorial signs that can guide them in emergency situations can be easily used. However, dwelling on the meanings of these images and repeating them during the drills and emergency planning will enable the individual to remember these images easily in case of an emergency or panic.

It should be planned in advance how the hearing impaired individuals will communicate with those around them in case of emergency and disaster. For this, if there is a communication device (sound amplifier device, word board, and artificial pharynx) that they always use, it is important to keep these devices close and easily accessible at all times. When these devices are not with them, they should plan how to communicate with the rescue team or authorities, and how to convey information about themselves if they have difficulty in speaking (notes on papers, pen-paper, message board, keywords, etc.).

For example the possibility that an individual who communicates with sign language may not be able to receive aid from someone who knows sign language should be taken into consideration.

From this perspective, accessibility should be ensured in emergency management plans of buildings and other urban areas where persons with disabilities reside, work or visit. In this context, necessary technical measures should be taken by determining how to inform and warn users during an emergency. On the other hand, life safety should be ensured with special precautions for safe evacuation.

In June this year, the Presidency IV. Within the scope of the 180-Day Action Plan, we held the "Workshop on the Accessibility of Emergency and Evacuation Plan and Systems with International Participation" with the participation of public institutions, universities, municipalities, NGOs and experts from abroad. In addition to the current situation presentations in Turkey, seven (7) sample applications from six (6) different countries, the USA, Japan, Spain, Germany, Italy and Czechia, were explained to us with the presentations of foreign experts at the workshop. While our workshop constitutes the first stage of our long-term work on the subject, we will complete the current situation determination with the findings we obtained as a result of the workshop.

In addition, we plan to hold the second phase of the "Emergency Availability: Developing Standard Criteria Workshop with Stakeholders" by the end of the year. With this workshop, we aim to determine the standard criteria for the accessibility of the emergency and evacuation plan and systems that should be implemented by all parties, especially public institutions and organizations.

Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ said: “On the other hand, we started our studies with the aim of “Developing Disaster and Emergency Plan in Institutions Providing Long-Term Care Services in the Field of Persons with Disabilities and Elderly”. We will carry out this study with the support of non-governmental organizations and academics, especially AFAD. We will continue to remove legal, social, and physical barriers with human-oriented and rights-based policies. We are Here for Accessible Turkey and Barrier-Free Life! Because Accessibility is for Everyone! I wish the project to be auspicial for services.”