DESF (Disableds’ Education and Solidarity Foundation of Turkey.)

DESF has adopted the principle of providing a bright and safe future for the disabled through education and solidarity.

In accordance with this principle, DESF was founded in 1994 by families of handicapped individuals.

Within the Special Education and Rehabilitation Center, 140 handicapped individuals are receiving special training, while 150 handicapped individuals are provided with vocational training.

In line with the motto, “Our mission is to educate the handicapped, our duty to prevent disabilities”; DESF strives to allow all disabled people to attain the respectable lives they deserve and integrated with the social community just like any other person.

DESF’s unique dedication is also reflected in the national and international projects that it manages.

For the prevention of disabilities and to increase the social awareness of the populace, DESF, aside from providing Education, Treatment, Rehabilitation, Employment, Protection, Care, Social integration services; creates projects and policies regarding handicapped problems and handicapped  rights.

DESF, with its 42 personnel and volunteers, Special Education and Rehabilitation Center, Project Unit and Data Processing Center, manages rehabilitation studies, family trainings,

public education courses, projects oriented towards handicapped, along with preparing audio-visual training aids, serves the needs of the handicapped community.

DESF Projects

Keçiören Without Disabilities
In Ankara, with the cooperation of the Municipality of Keçiören, the first handicapped census was held and mapped.

Computer courses for the disabled 
After 3 months of training, handicapped teenagers were presented a computer certificate, a project administered within the framework of the World Bank Projects.

Handicapped and elderly care workers training project
Professional attendants were brought up to facilitate the lives and to basic care needs of the handicapped and the elderly.

600 people found employment possibilities after the trainings which were done either face to face, or by distance learning for those attending from other provinces.

Workplace integration project
Business Establishments in many provinces were visited in order to overcome the prejudices of the employers towards the handicapped

and to increase the employment opportunities of the handicapped by informing the employers on how and where the disabled individual may be productive.

First Step for couples project
Counseling and training on Sexual Reproductive Health was provided to 20.000 (twenty thousand) prospective couples who have applied for marriages in the relevant municipalities.

This was a unique project in respect to the application places, the characteristics of the target group, the number of people served,

the data obtained by the questionnaires and the prepared training materials. With demands from multiple provinces, this project is still sustained.

Sexual Reproductive Health for the Challenged
The Taboo’s regarding sexuality was shattered.
20 educational CD’s containing basic Sexual Reproductive Health information aimed towards most disability groups, and a trainers training manual was created.

Researches were conducted to assess the awareness levels of families and public sector employee’s.

Turkey’s many provinces public sector employees, (health and education) were trained in order to better serve the handicapped and to create awareness towards the sexual rights of the handicapped.

Over 120 public sector employee’s, 600 families were educated directly. With peer training, the estimated number of people is around 10.000.

The SRH-Challenge project is one of the few in the world regarding this issue.

Library for the disabled
In order for the handicapped individuals to increase their social activities and knowledge, a Library for the Handicapped was inaugurated with the support of the Municipality of Keçiören. This also was a first for our country.

Grundtvig Projects
International Knowledge Bridges were assembled within the framework of the Grundtvig Projects.

relevant foundations in France, England, Greece, Spain, Italy and Germany were mutually visited, the handicapped problem was discussed in an international level, and solutions were suggested.

No Limits Project
In order to increase the quality of the studies regarding the handicapped sector and to accelerate the NGO dialogue, many were contacted and put into motion.

The studies and the developments of EU member states regarding handicapped people were analyzed in depth in order for them to be successfully applied to Turkey’s current problems.

Social Consciousness Project
in the line with the motto “The real handicap is ignorance”, conferences were held in many cities of Turkey to increase the disabled people’s full participation into the social life.

Families, experts from NGO’s and public institutions, including the handicapped individuals were thoroughly informed of The Law of Disabilities and the Handicapped Rights.

Short Story Competition
Every year a short story contest is being held to increase awareness towards the problems of the disabled amongst teenagers, the best stories receive prizes.

The Disability Rights project
This project which focuses on the strengthening and expanding the human rights of the disabled population, awareness creation, utilizes the power of the media to allow the disabled population to a honorable and life worthy of a human being within the community.