They Hit the Streets for an Accessible City
Turkey’s Changemakers’ new episode features “Open İstanbul!” (literally, the name is “get outside, in İstanbul” however pronounced with a slight change in emphasis, the name in Turkish means, “İstanbul is open”) an expedition group that has been organizing tours in İstanbul since 2009. During the tours, the group identifies physical obstacles for persons with disabilities and works to remove them. Their efforts have helped make museums, shopping malls, and other public spaces more accessible for everyone.
The initiative received support from the Adım Adım Initiative, Spinal Cord Paralytics Association of Turkey, the Fatih Municipality Topkapı Social Facility, and the İstanbul Photography and Cinema Amateurs Club. “Open İstanbul!” led pioneering efforts that resulted in physical accessibility at shopping malls, municipal buildings, art galleries, museums, social facilities, and bus stops all across the city. To date, more than 300 volunteers have toured the sites of İstanbul while helping to make it more accessible for persons with disabilities.
Itır Erhart Runs to Raise Money for Youth, Education, and Disability Projects
Melek Erman Köni Helps Rural Women Adapt to City Life in İstanbul
Inspired by a think tank in the United States, Çavuş established the "Thought Association" in Istanbul in 2007.
Fixers Club has repaired 60 streets in different cities of Turkey with more than 1,000 volunteers with the motto of "to repair, to produce and to share".