Türkiye Down Syndrome Association wins Zero Project award for post-earthquake initiative

​​​​​​​By Salih Okuroglu

VIENNA (AA) - The Türkiye Down Syndrome Association (TDSA) was honored at a “Zero Project” conference for a project launched after the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes in eastern Türkiye.

The “Zero Project” conference, which aims to disseminate innovative, effective and scalable solutions on disability rights worldwide, held a two-day conference, where TDSA received the award in the Crisis Response category for its “+1 Academy for the Future” project, launched for victims of the Kahramanmaras-centered earthquakes.

Ozgur Konuk, advisory board member of TDSA, told Anadolu that the award is based on the principle of “disseminating projects that produce scalable solutions in the field.”

He added that following the earthquakes, the “+1 Academy for the Future” project began with fieldwork in 11 provinces and provided services for two years through container-based education centers established in the four provinces most affected by the disaster.

He said they worked with expert teams according to regional needs, conducting activities with special education teachers in the city of Adiyaman, psychological counselors in the Islahiye district of Gaziantep province and physiotherapists and special education teachers in Hatay’s Iskenderun district.

Konuk added that he took an active role in the field as a manager and as a social worker.

Stating that they directly or indirectly reached nearly 30,000 people, Konuk said they provided support in special education, psychological counseling and social services. He emphasized that the services were not limited to individuals with Down Syndrome but extended to all disability groups and children with typical development.

Konuk stressed that in disasters and emergencies, disability services should be carried out based on needs rather than limited to specific diagnostic groups.

- Social spaces

Pointing out that disaster response requires a phased process, Konuk said it is not possible to speak of education or psychological support in the first hours of a disaster.

He noted that immediately after the earthquake, they focused on basic needs such as shelter, heating, food and personal care, adding that individuals with different developmental profiles can experience more severe and traumatic processes during disasters.

After approximately three months, the need for educational, psychological and psychosocial support became more prominent, and they managed the process accordingly, he said.

“For two years, we both provided support services in the container centers and created social spaces where families could breathe,” Konuk added.

- ‘You were the first group to address us by name’

Konuk described feedback from families as extremely valuable, explaining that in the first days of the earthquake, they contacted registered families in 11 provinces and created messaging groups to ask: “How are you? Is everything all right?”

He said in a crisis environment dominated by mass aid organizations, individual contact had a positive effect on families, noting that they received feedback such as: “We were very happy that you were the first group to address us by name.”

He added that over time, the centers evolved not only into educational spaces but also into social areas where families could talk, have coffee and share concerns, which was important for their overall well-being.

- Working at world standards

Established in 2009, the Türkiye Down Syndrome Association operates nationally and internationally, Konuk said, noting that it serves as an umbrella organization in Türkiye and also holds the position of Vice President of the European Down Syndrome Association.

“In the field of Down Syndrome, particularly in education and health, employment and job opportunities, independent living and self-advocacy, we produce work at world standards in Türkiye, and we are also building models that show the world how these can be implemented,” he said.

Konuk added that they strive to produce resources that guide families, institutions and academia throughout the lives of individuals with Down Syndrome, from birth to the end of life.

-Integrating disability perspective into disaster management

Konuk emphasized that although steps taken in the field of disability during disasters and emergencies are important, they are not sufficient, stressing that public institutions and civil society organizations should adopt a more inclusive approach in service provision.

He called for the development of strategies and action plans enabling all groups to benefit from services and underlined the importance of “systematically integrating a disability perspective into disaster management processes.”

Konuk added that the award, within the scope of the Zero Project, is significant in terms of providing international visibility to the model developed in Türkiye.