In Türkiye, which hosts close to 4 million refugees, almost one in every five refugees lives with a disability. United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA Türkiye has organized a PhotoVoice Exhibition in cooperation with the Association for Solidarity with Refugees and Migrants (SGDD-ASAM) and with the support of EU Humanitarian Aid. The exhibition coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which is observed annually on 3 December. It consists of photographs taken by refugees with disabilities, accompanied by audio and written descriptions in Turkish, English, Arabic and Persian and can be visited at CerModern Ankara, Türkiye, from 2- 5 December 2022.

ANKARA, TURKIYE - United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA Türkiye, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, is proud to introduce a special PhotoVoice Exhibition. The photographs were taken by refugees with disabilities who are among the most vulnerable groups living in Türkiye. The artwork allows the audience to catch a glimpse of the daily lives of refugees with disabilities, and to increase awareness of the challenges they face.

Ten refugees with disabilities between the ages of 17-52 (7 physical, 1 mental, 1 hearing and 1 visual impairment) received both theoretical and practical photography training for 3 days. At the end of the training, they photographed their daily lives from their own perspectives and explained their feelings about the photos. With the Turkish, English, Arabic and Persian audio descriptions of of the photographs and the translation of their statements, the exhibition become accessible to everyone.

The opening ceremony of the Exhibition, hosted by UNFPA, was held at Ankara CerModern on Friday, December 2, in cooperation of the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (SGDD-ASAM) and the financial support of EU Humanitarian Aid.

At the opening ceremony, Kadir Beyaztaş, Deputy General Coordinator of SGDD-ASAM noted “Disability is a human rights and justice issue. Everyone has the right to equal opportunities, to be free from discrimination and to realize their potential.”

UNFPA assistant representative Zeynep Başarankurt Kan said “We must work together to have a world where all individuals are socially involved have equal opportunities and experience”

Devrig Velly, Head of EU Humanitarian Aid in Türkiye, said “Refugees with disabilities in Türkiye are not alone in accessing their rights. Ensuring their access to services and assistance can have a big impact." in her opening remarks. 

Said Eleftheria Pertzinidou, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation, said: "The inclusion of people with disabilities in every sense is at the heart of human rights and development."

Aslı İnandık, successful actress and supporter of UNFPA Türkiye joined the opening ceremony online and stressed the importance of ensuring everyone's access to equal rights and services. 

​​After the opening speeches, the visitors had the opportunity to examine the photographs taken by refugees with disabilities, read, and listen to how they felt.

This unique exhibition advocates for a more inclusive, equal, and accessible world, and will be open to visitors free of charge at CerModern until Monday, December 5, 2022.

Our opening event is here for those who missed it and want to watch it again!

Photographs from the exhibition are here with their explanations!

Background:

Türkiye is currently hosting the largest number of refugees globally, with close to 4 million people. 3.6 million of them are Syrians under temporary protection. According to research conducted by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in 2022, almost one out of every five refugees in Türkiye lives with a disability (17%). Disability makes refugees more vulnerable in many areas such as employment, or accessing education and health services, and can lead to psychological social problems due to low self-esteem and feeling excluded from society.

This exhibition was developed under the "Increasing Access of Refugees with Disabilities to Protection Services" project, launched in 2021 by UNFPA Türkiye, in partnership with ASAM and funded by EU Humanitarian Aid. Through this project, refugees and migrants living with disabilities, as well as their support persons, are provided with protection services including consultations, information, psycho-social support, gender-based violence prevention and response services, as well as support in accessing other services through two service units in Ankara and İzmir. The access of the beneficiaries to these specialized service units and other services is facilitated via disabled-friendly vehicles.