SPECİAL NEEDS İN THE NEW CENTURY

Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University (COMU) held a panel and workshop titled "Special Needs in the New Century" at the Kolin Hotel as part of the December 3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Organized in cooperation with the COMU Disability Unit Coordinator of the Department of Health, Culture and Sports, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sinan Kalkan, and the President of the Turkish Association of the Physically Disabled (TSD) Canakkale Branch, Umit Burunlular, along with stakeholder institutions, the event addressed structural problems faced by individuals with disabilities, solution proposals, and social awareness issues.

The panel was attended by Canakkale Deputy Governor Omer Sahin, COMU Rector Prof. Dr. R. Cuneyt Erenoglu, President of the Canakkale Wars Gallipoli Historical Site Ismail Kasdemir, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Evren Karayel Gokkaya, members of the Canakkale protocol, representatives of NGOs, academics, and citizens.

Psychologist Serdar Topal, in his speech at the workshop, stated that individuals with disabilities still face fundamental obstacles in daily life and emphasized that deficiencies in transportation, urban planning, and public buildings make participation in social life difficult. Topal expressed that teacher shortages, peer bullying, and physical conditions in the field of education constitute a significant barrier for students with disabilities, while stress, intra-family conflicts, and overprotectiveness stand out from a psychological perspective. Within the scope of solution proposals, he said that care supports should be increased, equality in education should be strengthened, and barrier-free living centers should be expanded.

COMU Lecturer Dr. Ali Emrah Tokatlioglu explained the importance of inclusive policies through international examples in his presentation titled "Inclusion and Diversity in EU Programs."

Umit Burunlular, President of the TSD Canakkale Branch, stated that although the accessibility law came into force in 2005, progress in Canakkale is still at levels of 60 percent, and noted that this event offered an important opportunity to evaluate deficiencies and solutions.

Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Evren Karayel Gokkaya emphasized in her speech that projects supporting the full and equal participation of individuals with disabilities in social life will be continued by the university, saying: "For our university, not only scientific productivity but also a human-oriented approach and social responsibility are fundamental values. It is a social, legal, and conscientious necessity for individuals with special needs to reach the quality of life they deserve." The event ended after the presentation of certificates to the participants.