9 replies to this topic

[IstanbulWhiteboy]

One thing I noticed when I first moved to Istanbul is that the city is not very handicap friendly. There are few, if any, wheelchair ramps or curb cuts, and elevator access in apartment buildings is usually at the top of a flight of stairs. Outside the city (in Bahçeşehir specifically) I'm starting to see more progress, but it's a weak first attempt in some cases. While they do have playground equipment designed for kids in wheelchairs, wheelchair ramps that do exist are often concrete slabs that are poured on the side of the stairways, making the angle of the ramp anywhere from 8 to 60 degrees. There are curb cuts for crossing the streets, however, and occasionally you see a handicap parking spot (I've seen them at Migros and Carrefoure and some of the larger AVMs) but they're usually far from the building entrance, unused, or if they are close to the entrance they serve as taxi parking.
At the moment I don't need these things myself, but both my knees are falling apart, so I empathize with the need for access. Just be aware, if you're coming to Turkey and use a wheelchair or even a motorized chair, you're probably going to find it very difficult to get around on your own without help...

[Abi]

I agree and actually I haven't visited city or town where they are handicap friendly generally, There was a new year coming into place this month but it looks like it's being pushed back again.

As the deadline to make public areas disabled-friendly approaches, civil society groups have reacted against a move to extend the deadline by a year on the grounds that it would mean the exclusion of the disabled from society for another year...

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[samanthaozkara]

I do agree but I must say I dont see many people in wheelchairs or disabled in Turkey like I have in the UK maybe its because I have never lived in a big city always the little towns outside but even when I visit İzmir I generally dont see wheelchairs in site. The roads are not pushchair friendly either but I have noticed in çeşme there are alot more ramps on the main shopping street than there was last year since they revamped the shopping street.

xxxx

[Meral]

The reason you don't see them Sam, is because they probably don't go out much because of the lack of facilites. As for strollers/buggies/pushchairs, I saw them on almost every bus in the UK, and was quite intrigued remembering I hardly saw any on Istanbul's buses last year. The mums usually just carry their child around on public transport.

[Abi]

That's a very good point Meral and you're right. In the article I posted people were saying if the law is put back one more year, it's one more year that they will a prisoner in their home.

I'm glad there aren't many pushchairs in Turkey as I was tired of people bashing into me with them in the UK.

[samanthaozkara]

Thats very true Meral I didnt think of it like that.

I know in the UK it is a battle with pushchairs on the buses as you can only fit on 2 max (in cardiff you can not sure about other places) but then people in wheelchairs cant get on the bus if there are 2 pushchairs onboard.

I know my friends here in Çeşme find it really difficult getting around with pushchairs. x

[Quinn]

For a while I was entertaining the idea of becoming an interior designer, and what really drew me was what is called "universal design"--making spaces as user-friendly as possible for the largest numbers of people. Some of the designs I've seen have really blown me away in this regard--it goes far, far beyond merely setting up wheelchair ramps and accessible toilet stalls. Some of the things include: lining handrails with Braille so that a blind person gets continual information about where they are going and what to expect; raised gardens that can be tended by people in wheelchairs or by people with bad backs; sidewalks that have heating elements installed underneath them so that it melts the snow and ice (it's really hard to operate a wheelchair in the snow); creating outdoor seating at various levels to accommodate everyone from children to super tall people, etc. It's too bad to hear that the bare-bones are largely not being addressed.

BTW, IWB, I recently was a seatmate on a plane to a gentlemen who had had two full-knee replacement surgeries. He said it was the best thing he'd ever done--no more pain and as good as new. So perhaps there are options that will work for you down the line. I myself have more or less resolved my former bad-knee problems with physical therapy, graduating to regular exercise and by losing a lot of excess weight. You look fit, so that's probably not a problem for you, but all those things can help as well.

Thanks for posting about this. It's an important topic.

[IstanbulWhiteboy]

I agree. I am planning on having both knees replaced at some point; I've heard nothing but good things from people who have had it done. I've done the PT in the past and also lost a lot of weight a few years ago (about 40 kilos), but I have no cartilage in my left knee and very little in my right, so there's only so much that can be done anymore other than trading them in for a newer model. I'd like to have it done in the next 3-5 years, if not sooner, and I probably won't have a choice if I wait much longer than that. I'm already catching myself window shopping for a nice looking cane and I only just turned 41 last week...

[Yellowcatt]

Our apartment in Mersin has been refurbished over the past few months, part of that refurbishment included adding a wheelchair ramp.

[Petunia846]

Before I left for the summer, the city of Denizli added some new, more handicapped-accessible buses to their fleet. The floor inside is lower, so you don't have to go up any steps to get on. They sit around curb-level, so that's good, but the middle doors also have a button you can hit that makes a ramp extend for people to get on and off if needed. The problem is, out of a huge fleet of buses, I don't know how the people who need the special bus know which route it's running on which day. And what about all the other people around town? Oh well. It's a start.