"Special attitude" - when attention with warmth compensates for health limitations
The action dedicated to the International Day of Disabled People was held in Ashgabat on Saturday, December 3, in the building where the Mufti of the country and the Cultural Center of the Republic of Turkey are located.
This event is designed to complement the Government's efforts to promote the well-being of people with disabilities, to expand their real opportunities for integration into all spheres of public life.
According to the United Nations, 15% of the inhabitants of our planet are disabled. And the organizers of the Ashgabat event have united to show how much society benefits when people with disabilities participate fully in creative activities on an equal footing with everyone.
In the hall where the information and educational campaign was held, not only people with health problems gathered, but also those who are ready to provide them with active assistance and support, including representatives of embassies and international organizations accredited in Turkmenistan, public structures, entrepreneurs, volunteers, youth and many others
The participants of the action were met in the lobby by the photo exhibition "Territory of Opportunities", demonstrating how its heroes with health limitations were able to find their place in life thanks to the responsiveness and assistance of caring people.
Everyone could take with them works of art published in Turkmen and English thanks to the assistance of the Information Resource Center of the US Embassy in Ashgabat.
During the event, a film about social entrepreneurship for young people with hearing impairments was shown, as well as a motivational video presentation by American professor Steven Kuusisto, who, despite serious visual impairments, has achieved a lot in his life.
Every number of the concert program "Ladder of Success", prepared by those who can hardly be called people with disabilities, was accepted for "hurrah!". They enthusiastically read poetry, sang songs and danced with the most active support of the auditorium.
One of the organizers of the event was the diplomatic Mission of the Republic of Turkey. Here is what the ambassador of this friendly country Togan Oral told ORIENT:
– It is an honor for us to participate in holding such an event together with public organizations in Turkmenistan that actively work with people with disabilities, for example, the Yenme association.
– I don't like the phrase "people with disabilities", because they have opportunities. We must, abandoning the egocentric attitude, perceive the world around us in a broad perspective. We must realize that there are people in this world who have fewer physical resources than others, and undoubtedly they deserve special attention and support in their desire to contribute to society, and they certainly have something to contribute.
I want to emphasize that this should be remembered not only on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, but every day, living not only purely their own lives, but also sharing the concerns of those who cannot change their situation so that they have as many opportunities as the rest of the population, so that they can be on equal with other people.
– I think that first of all, we should break down the barriers in our consciousness and try to understand that we need to change ourselves and our attitude, and not the world around us. And when we change our views, it will be clear how best to create conditions for the life, education and education of people who are the same as us, but they need special care.
I repeat: disabled people are not those people who "do not have opportunities" or they have "limited". It's just that they need special treatment for them. Therefore, we must first understand what the meaning of the words "special relationship" is. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who took part in this action – the organizers and their partners. And I want to note that the warmth with which it was held is a characteristic feature of the Turkmen people…
...The International Day of Disabled People was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly exactly 30 years ago. This year's theme is "Transformational Solutions for Inclusive Development: the Role of Innovation in Creating an Accessible and Fair World."
The organizers of this event in the Turkmen capital were the program "Safe Migration in Central Asia", funded by USAID and implemented by Winrock International, in partnership with UNODC, the Information Resource Center of the US Embassy in Ashgabat, the Turkish Embassy, private enterprises and public structures.
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