“My Disabled Relative” Panel organized by EUL ÖÇEM 

The “Children with Special Needs, Research and Education Center” (ÖÇEM), established by the European University of Lefke, has organized a panel entitled “My Disabled Relative”.  ÖÇEM Director Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Ataman undertook the moderator task during the panel held at EUL Rauf Raif Denktaş Conference Hall.

Ataman congratulated the participants on the courage of announcing that they have close relatives with disabilities and informed the participants about what happened to the families of the disabled people and the negative attitudes of the community, towards these families.

During the panel it has been underlined that families with disabled relatives at first are not fully eligible with the current diverse situation so they tend to be in a state of abstention only to a point when a detailed information is been received about their situation, which comforts them and helps them to be assisted by the experts. Also sometimes, a family who goes out with their disabled relative are encountered with cruelty and prejudice directed by others in the society which creates a discomfort to the families which sometimes this extends to a point of dispute.

A participant also remarked that mother of his has not accepted to end her baby’s life, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, and at the end she gave birth to this baby; thus whole family have been voluntarily appointed to help raise and care the baby through all required needs including funding. Other participant on the other hand has stressed that he had been a mentor to his cousin with hearing disability who is two years younger, following some specific educational reinforcement.

Other participant emphasized that due to lack of necessary educational reinforcement, she could only taught her elder sister to add beads to a string and nothing further. Thus this avoids further development and freedom of the disabled person.

The panel ended following the questions-answers session.