Disability is Navigating with Multiple Identities.
GEV is a global foundation with a member network in 100 different countries, being a thought and project organization established with the spirit of social responsibility and 47 years of disabled life experience for the benefit of all the world’s disabled and elderly people.
Our foundation, within the scope of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, and the Law on Disabled Persons No. 5378, offers products, systems, and services for the 1.5 billion disabled and elderly people, who constitute 15% of the world’s population, by accepting the matters determined herein as minimum elements, by having a much more advanced horizon, and by means of establishing a sustainable corporate cooperation model with relevant, authorized, and responsible institutions and organizations.
Navigating in Multiple Identities; As a Muslim, I value my culture that centers Islam and the family. When I was a young, disabled person at the age of 13, I trusted in this strength of my family and culture to start drawing my path. Although nothing was taught in schools about the disability rights movement and I had no disabled role models in the beginning, I finally found my own people.
In fact, my first-hand experience as the president of a Muslim Disability Organization also strengthened my belief that it is very important to take into account all aspects of a person’s identity, in terms of informing inclusive policies and services so that everyone can access the support they need.
For example, it can be difficult to address mental health in a society that is attempted to be alienated from its essence. Many do not understand that mental health conditions are a disability. Language barriers and cultural stigma surrounding seeking mental health services can lead to more isolation.
Poverty makes overcoming these barriers even more difficult. Therefore, services for disabled people need to be sensitive to the intersection of all aspects of a person’s identity and circumstances.
Furthermore, we must also accept that the disability agenda is the Humanity agenda, the Friendship agenda, the Brotherhood agenda.
Disability does not exist alone and inclusive policies address all dimensions of a person’s identity, including race, income, and gender, in addition to disability.
Disabled people say “nothing about us without us”; people with different types of disabilities and from different cultures also deserve the same thing.
I encourage groups from all identities to invite disabled people to their boards of directors, and institutions and organizations to hire disabled people of all types and people from different races.
Since my accident 47 years ago, I have felt as if I belonged to two different places, but the truth is, wherever I am, I belong. It is important that people of Muslim origin and all people, no matter what community they belong to, understand their own unique values.
Love yourself. Fight for others. Wherever you are, belong!
Necdet ÖZTÜRK,
Founding President
GEV Global Disability Foundation
