ANTALYA - Gozde Nur Donat, Bahattin Gonultas
A local municipality in Antalya, one of Turkey’s hot tourism spots, provides recharge stations that allow disabled people to travel more extensively without fear of being stranded by a flat battery on their electric wheelchairs.
Antalya’s Muratpasa municipality now has four recharge stations at central points in the town, said Varol Tang, director of the department for the disabledat the municipality. The municipality with its 20 kilometers coastline, is one of the first places in Turkey providing this service.
“This service the municipality provides us shows what local governments can achieve when they act responsibly,” said Mehmet Karavural, chairperson of Turkey Disabled People’s Association.
Karavural explained that most people charge at home, but the move to provide more public stations encourages councils and all levels of government comply with the requirements outlined in Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities.
“With such a little touch, they make the life for the disabled people easier. These stations are a service for those to have a more social and active life.” he said.
Tang said that such services also facilitate disabled foreign tourists in Antalya and explained that tourism firms are very grateful for this service as moredisabled people can tour around Antalya.
The United Nations is calling for global efforts to ensure that more than one billion people worldwide who live with some form of disability can reap the benefits of development and fully participate in society.
In addition to providing mobility, an appropriate wheelchair benefits physical health and increases the quality of life by aiding in the reduction of common problems such as pressure sores, progression of deformities and in improving respiration and digestion.
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