Dish of the Day

A “Disability Awareness Workshop,” organized in cooperation with Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Faculty of Architecture and Atakum Municipality, brought architecture students together with individuals with disabilities.

Dean Mehmet Çetin: “Our goal is safe, independent and dignified spaces for everyone in line with universal design principles”

The program, held at the Faculty of Fine Arts Foyer Area, began with an opening speech by the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Çetin. Dean Çetin emphasized that the event was not merely a workshop but also a significant gathering that underscored the social responsibility of the disciplines of architecture and planning. He stated that the concept of barrier-free design should not be limited to technical arrangements for a specific user group, but rather should aim to produce safe, independent and dignified spaces for everyone in accordance with universal design principles.

Dean Mehmet Çetin: “An accessible campus and inclusive city vision is possible with conscious professionals”

Highlighting the empathy-based approach of the workshop, Prof. Dr. Çetin noted that it was of great importance for students’ professional development to transform their theoretical knowledge into lived experience through direct interaction with individuals with orthopedic disabilities. He underlined that universities are not only institutions that transfer knowledge but also pioneers of social transformation, and that the vision of an accessible campus and an inclusive city can only be achieved through conscious and sensitive professionals.

Atakum Municipality Deputy Mayor Suat Yıldız: “There are approximately 155,000 to 174,000 individuals with disabilities in Samsun”

Following Dean Prof. Dr. Mehmet Çetin’s speech, Atakum Municipality Deputy Mayor Suat Yıldız shared up-to-date data on disability and the municipality’s initiatives in this field. Yıldız stated that there are approximately 155,000 to 174,000 individuals with disabilities in Samsun, corresponding to around 14 percent of the total population. Providing further data, he noted that 9.63 percent of disability cases are due to chronic illnesses, while 4.17 percent consist of orthopedic, visual, hearing, intellectual, and speech impairments.

Deputy Mayor Suat Yıldız: “Out of approximately 6.5 million university students in Türkiye, only 14,000 are students with disabilities”

Addressing the main challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, Yıldız identified discrimination, accessibility deficiencies, and inequality of opportunity as priority issues. He reminded the audience that there are approximately 6.5 million university students nationwide in Türkiye, of whom only 14,000 are students with disabilities, stressing the need to increase inclusivity in higher education.

Providing information about Atakum Municipality’s social projects, Yıldız explained that the Barrier-Free Life Center operating under the Directorate of Social Services, along with projects such as Down Café, Autism Café and Duyum Café, aim to enhance participation in social life and strengthen public awareness.

The event aimed to raise awareness about accessibility and reinforce the understanding of inclusive design.

After the speeches of Dean Prof. Dr. Mehmet Çetin and Deputy Mayor Suat Yıldız, OMU Disabled Student Unit Academic Coordinators Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meryem Vural Batık and Dr. Lecturer Uygar Bayrakdar addressed the participants.

Subsequently, Lecturer Şermin Demirtaş delivered a seminar titled “Accessible Spaces.” Special Education Teacher Sedef Zeynep Ağırlılar gave a presentation on “The Operational Model and Accessibility Approach of Atakum Municipality’s Yaşampark Culture, Art and Education Center.”

Practical workshop activities

As part of the program, departments of the Faculty of Architecture introduced their fields. Mehmet Umut Gediz from the Department of City and Regional Planning, Ümmet Yener from the Department of Interior Architecture, and Burak Talha Mutlu from the Department of Architecture delivered presentations. In the final part of the event, an “Empathy-Based Table Tennis Workshop” was organized. In this practical activity, which brought together individuals with orthopedic disabilities and Faculty of Architecture students, participants experienced accessibility challenges in campus outdoor spaces and buildings.