Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said, "The number of persons with disabilities employed has increased 12 times since 2002. With the efforts carried out, the number of public personnel with disabilities has reached 68.396 as of today."

Minister Göktaş chaired the "Monitoring and Evaluation Board Meeting on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" with the participation of representatives of various ministries and civil society organizations at Ankara Judges' House. 

In her speech, Göktaş stated that the 1-year interim evaluation period of the National Action Plan on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was completed and that very valuable feedbacks were received during the monitoring period.

Stating that accessibility was one of the core principles adopted in order to facilitate the lives of citizens with disabilities, Göktaş emphasized that accessibility had a key importance in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and enabling them to participate in social life independently.

Pointing out that accessibility was not limited to physical structures, Göktaş said that today, access to many products and services could be provided through digital means, and in such a period, the use of technology offering innovative, personalized and sustainable solutions for the persons with disabilities was an inevitable reality.

Stating that both the feedback received from the field and the experiences acquired during the monitoring process of the action plan showed the need to improve digital accessibility, Göktaş continued as follows:

"Therefore, one of the agenda items of today's meeting is 'Web Accessibility of Public Institutions'. In the 'Law on Persons with Disabilities' enacted in 2005, it was made compulsory for all institutions to make information and communication technologies accessible. In 2009, this became an obligation for the state with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which the country is a party. Accordingly, the Ministry continues to work intensively on awareness-raising and training activities to ensure and promote accessibility. Undoubtedly, the declaration of 2020 as the Year of Accessibility by the President of the Republic of Türkiye has given an important impetus to the dissemination of accessibility. The Ministry has organized the Accessibility Award Ceremony with nominees in 9 categories in the Year of Accessibility to raise awareness of the issue. The 2030 Barrier-Free Vision Document, announced by the President of the Republic of Türkiye on December 3, 2021, the World Day of Persons with Disabilities, is the road map in disability."

"'Circular on the Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications' has been drafted"

Minister Göktaş stated that the Ministry provided "Web Accessibility Standards Trainings" to public institutions and organizations at the Accessibility Workshops.

Explaining that at this point, it was essential to establish a monitoring system to ensure digital accessibility, Göktaş said, "In this context, the Ministry prepared the draft of the Circular on the Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications. The circular will be finalized and published as soon as feasible in line with the feedback of the institutions."

Pointing out that increasing the employment of persons with disabilities had always been one of their primary goals, Göktaş added that the main method in the employment of persons with disabilities was the quota method.

Reminding that the placement of persons with disabilities as public personnel had been carried out with Public Personnel with Disabilities Selection Examination (EKPSS) since 2012, Göktaş said:

"Last time, on February 19, the Ministry assigned 2114 people in public institutions. On the other hand, the assignment process is continuing. Therefore, the number of persons with disabilities employed has increased 12 times since 2002. Today, the number of public personnel with disabilities has reached 68.396 thanks to the efforts carried out by the Ministry. Although there has been a significant progress in this regard, there are still issues that need to be improved regarding the working life of persons with disabilities. One of these issues is to raise awareness about disability in society so that persons with disabilities can take an active part in working life."

Göktaş stated that the employment of persons with disabilities was a multidimensional and multilateral process and suggested that all aspects of the process be included in the agenda of the next board.

Stating that the Ministry took important steps to improve the rights and living standards of persons with disabilities in the last 22 years, Göktaş emphasized that the Ministry would continue to stand by citizens with disabilities in line with the same understanding and that the Ministry would do their best to ensure that every citizen with disabilities lives without needing any other.

The Minister met with Oya Aydın, a national arm wrestler with physical disabilities

Meanwhile, Minister Göktaş met with Oya Aydın, a national arm wrestler with physical disabilities who grew up under government protection, prior to the meeting.

Göktaş chatted with Aydın for a while and congratulated the national athlete for her success. Minister Göktaş, in response to Aydın's request, "I hope the country will attend to the Olympics with your representation," said, "I hope you will bring us success."

National athlete Aydın presented Minister Göktaş with a painting prepared with paper marbling.