About Us
Our History
A group of visually impaired students from Boğaziçi University came together on 1 November 1988 and laid the foundations of the Turkish Beyazay Association. Gathering in order to develop themselves, strengthen their values and pass on what they knew to others without holding anything back, the young people at first continued their activities as a working group with no legal identity.
As participation grew by the day in activities that at first took the form of reading books together, watching films, holding discussions with writers and organising picnics and outings, and as needs became more varied, the move was made towards a legal structure.
In 1992, on 7 March, the Beyazay Working Group gained its legal identity and took the name Beyazay Association for the Visually Impaired. With the completion of the legal process, activities for people with disabilities also gathered pace. Alongside the library and social activities, English and university preparation courses were run with volunteer teachers, a sock production course was held jointly with what was then called the Labour and Employment Agency, and Qur'an courses were run with the mufti's office.
Aware of the shortcomings in the education of people with disabilities, Beyazay opened Türkiye's first computer laboratory for visually impaired people on 1 September 1992. The course attracted intense interest from visually impaired people. As a result of the course, hundreds of people with disabilities were introduced to the world of information technology.
Believing in the need to convey to the public the intellectual accumulation in the field of disability, Beyazay also pioneered various initiatives serving this purpose. The cassette magazine entitled “A Step from Darkness into Light”, prepared for visually impaired people, and Beyazay Magazine began publication. The magazines, published every two months, and the programmes broadcast on various radio stations served as an important bridge between people with disabilities and the public.
In 2007, Beyazay's attainment of public benefit association status also set in motion a process of fundamental change. The association's name was changed to Turkish Beyazay Association. It widened its field of service by adding all disability groups to its target audience alongside visually impaired people.
Widely appreciated by people with disabilities for its activities, Beyazay went beyond the boundaries of Istanbul and became a beacon of hope for people with disabilities in Anatolia too. Growing rapidly in a short time, the Turkish Beyazay Association began opening branches one after another in Antalya, İzmir, Erzurum, Sivas and Ankara. Today, with 80 branches across Türkiye and 8 abroad, the Turkish Beyazay Association supports people with disabilities and those in need who are awaiting help beyond the country's borders as much as those living in our own country.
The Turkish Beyazay Association has delivered the projects Overcoming Barriers with Online Education, Walking Together, Education Overcomes Every Barrier, The Future of Blindness, Turquoise: Disability Knows No Borders, Be Enlightened Enlighten Others, Careers for People with Disabilities, ee-Commerce and Mobile Communication for All. In parallel with changing conditions, alongside the projects it runs nationwide it has also completed the Training for Relatives of People with Disabilities Project, supported by the European Union, providing employment for the relatives of people with disabilities.
In the painting competition launched nationwide under the slogan This Canvas Is Yours, the aim was to bring young people with disabilities together with art.
For the first time in Türkiye, the Eurecert Certificate began to be awarded to venues through the cooperation of the Turkish Beyazay Association and the Eukoba Association. The authority to issue the document showing that public and private institutions, parks — in short, living spaces — have become accessible for people with disabilities and older people rests in our country with the Turkish Beyazay Association alone.
Setting itself ever greater goals, the Turkish Beyazay Association has, through its services across borders, also become a beacon of hope for people with disabilities in North Macedonia, Kosovo and Tatarstan. Providing material and educational support to people with disabilities living there, the association continues its efforts to open branches abroad with the understanding that service knows no borders. Advancing towards becoming an organisation operating worldwide, the Turkish Beyazay Association continues its work with the aim of being a source of hope for people with disabilities and of raising their education and quality of life, through the projects it creates and delivers.
Vision – Mission
Beyazay aims for a world where individuals with disabilities enjoy rights and freedoms on an equal basis, and where diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and equal opportunity are embraced as fundamental values of social life.
Our vision is to contribute to the development of an inclusive society—aligned with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)—where individuals with disabilities have a say and decision-making power over their own lives, where independent living skills are supported, and where they can participate actively and meaningfully in all decision-making processes that affect them, ranging from education to employment, culture to social life, and local governance to national policy.
Beyazay views individuals with disabilities not merely as recipients of services, but as active and productive agents of social, economic, cultural, and political life who possess equal rights. Accordingly, it prioritizes strengthening opportunities for education, employment, independent living, and social participation for individuals with disabilities, and encourages families, service providers, public institutions, and other societal stakeholders to adopt a rights-based approach to disability.
Rooted in Türkiye’s values of solidarity, social responsibility, and mutual aid, Beyazay aims to combine this heritage with a universal human rights perspective. Recognizing that disability rights are a universal human rights issue that transcends borders, it supports the sharing of experiences and best practices across different countries.
Beyazay regards participation in international networks, the development of collaborations with disability organizations and other stakeholders, the sharing of knowledge and experience, and the execution of joint initiatives as the fundamental elements of its international vision. Through these collaborations, it works towards a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable world where the voices of individuals with disabilities are empowered, the principle of “nothing about us without us” is reflected in decision-making processes, and no one is left behind.
Our Mission
- Beyazay’s mission is to support—in line with the fundamental principles of the CRPD—individuals with disabilities in enjoying human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis, leading independent lives, making decisions regarding their own lives, and participating fully and effectively in all areas of society.
To this end, Beyazay carries out activities in the following areas:
Education and Empowerment: Supporting inclusive educational opportunities that enhance the knowledge, skills, and competencies of individuals with disabilities; increasing their access to lifelong learning and contributing to the development of independent living skills. - Rights Advocacy and Participation in Decision-Making Processes: Conducting rights-based advocacy to protect and advance the civil, social, cultural, economic, educational, and vocational rights of individuals with disabilities; encouraging their active participation in the processes of formulating, implementing, and evaluating policies, programs, and practices that directly or indirectly affect them.
- Independent Living and Social Participation: Contributing to the creation of conditions where individuals with disabilities can freely choose where, how, and with whom they live, access necessary support services, and lead independent lives within the community.
- Employment and Economic Participation: Supporting the participation of individuals with disabilities in the open, inclusive, and accessible labor market on equal terms; strengthening their access to professional development, entrepreneurship, and decent work opportunities.
- Accessibility and Combating Discrimination: Supporting the enhancement of accessibility in the physical environment, transportation, information, communication, digital technologies, and services; combating disability-based discrimination, prejudice, and exclusion; and promoting the widespread adoption of reasonable accommodations.
- Social Solidarity and Awareness: Contributing to the strengthening of a societal mindset based on human rights, equal citizenship, diversity, and mutual respect, rather than approaches rooted in charity or pity regarding disability.
- Technology, Innovation, and Universal Design: Supporting the shaping of technological and digital advancements around the needs, preferences, and participation of individuals with disabilities; and strengthening independent living and social participation through accessibility, assistive technologies, and universal design.
- National and International Cooperation: Fostering partnerships with public institutions, universities, civil society organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities, international bodies, and other stakeholders to facilitate the sharing of best practices, the development of joint projects, and the strengthening of national and international solidarity regarding the rights of persons with disabilities.
- In all its activities, Beyazay operates on the premise that individuals with disabilities are rights-holders and integral stakeholders in decision-making processes; it upholds the principles of equality, respect for human dignity, individual autonomy, accessibility, independent living, and full and effective participation in society.
Areas of Work
The Turkish Beyazay Association addresses all people with disabilities — those with visual, hearing and speech, physical, intellectual and chronic illness-related disabilities. Beyond this, the relatives of people with disabilities, the relevant institutions and society at large form a broad target audience in terms of awareness-raising and information work.
The Turkish Beyazay Association's field of service is gathered under 5 main headings.
1. Educational Work
2. Information and Awareness Work
3. Awareness-Raising Work
4. Support Services
5. International Work