Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), through the collaboration of the Developmental Education Application and Research Center (OGEM) and the Disabled Student Unit, organized a program to raise social awareness and promote the full and effective participation of individuals with disabilities in social life. The Samsun Metropolitan Municipality and the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services supported the event.
The event was attended by OMU Secretary General Prof. Dr. Erhan Burak Pancar, Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Hamza Çalışıcı, Head of the Social Services Department of Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Eyüp Çakır, academics, students, and families.
The event was hosted by OGEM Deputy Director Dr. Uygar Bayraktar, and coordinated by OGEM Director Dr. Emrah Gülboy and the Academic Coordinator of the Disabled Student Unit, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meryem Vural Batık.
Following the opening and protocol speeches, OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın delivered a message in sign language, drawing the audience’s attention. In her address, she stated:
“Dear students, I hope Disability Week further enhances our social awareness and becomes a meaningful step toward ensuring that individuals with disabilities can exist equally and inclusively within society. As Ondokuz Mayıs University, we are committed to building a more accessible and inclusive university environment for individuals with disabilities.”
As part of the event, a musical performance was held by Dr. Beril Tekeli Yiğit and Lecturer Dr. Ayşegül Keleşler Gümüş from OMU’s Department of Music Education.
A conference titled “Disability and the Rights-Based Approach” was delivered by Prof. Dr. Selda Çağlar from Trakya University.
Good practice examples implemented jointly by the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality, the Ministry of Family and Social Services Samsun Provincial Directorate, and OMU’s Disabled Student Unit were also shared with the audience.
At awareness booths organized by student clubs, children with special needs participated in educational and recreational activities alongside their peers.
To facilitate the participation of attendees with special needs, OMU’s Disabled Student Unit established an accessibility desk and provided services including audio description, companion support, and sign language interpretation.
This event significantly contributed to OMU’s ongoing efforts to establish a respectful, accessible, and inclusive university environment for individuals with disabilities.
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