“We discovered that there are people who are concerned with us, who cares about us. I believe that we mutually benefit each other. They pay attention to us here, and we are giving closer attention to our children…” These words belong to 51-year-old Syrian Hadice Muhammed Ali. Having a 20-year-old daughter with intellectual disability, Hadice is one of the members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is supported by the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM) Gaziantep Integrated Field Office that conducts its works with the United Nations Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) contribution. The Committee mostly brings together refugee families who have children with disabilities above the age of 18; here, the families share their experiences and feelings with one another. This way, they are also able to understand their children, who have difficulty expressing themselves, better. 

Telling her story by explaining, “We had a good life before the war. We had a garden in our village; children used to attend school. The war began; my husband got injured by a bomb that landed in our village and lost his life. I came to Turkey in 2014 with my children”, Hadice indicates that they talk about how to communicate with children with disabilities and discuss their children’s’ needs in the Committee. She also states, “I started paying more attention to my child after joining the Committee; this improved her psychological state. My other children started being more concerned with her also after seeing what I did”. There are numerous stories like this in the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

Another one of these stories belongs to Suphi (30), son of 50-year-old Kermo El Hamdu, who used to work in well drilling in Syria. Suphi got injured one day when out shopping with his father and acquired a walking disability. His father, Kermo, explains that participating in the Committee’s activities strengthened his son. Indicating that his greatest hope is for his son to walk as before, Kermo says, “I share my hopes about Suphi and the difficulties we experience with other members of the Committee. What I saw in the Committee is that the things we attach importance to and the needs of our children with disabilities are different for each person. However much you pay attention to your child and prioritize his/her opinions, that child will be that strong”. 

Syrian Necat Keşam’s 26-year-old son Muhammed’s disability is from birth and not after the war. His mother, Necat, explains the story of her son, who has hearing and, in effect, speech impairment, with the following words: “We were never aware until he turned one. We saw that he was not afraid of sounds and did not show any reaction, so we took him to the doctor. The doctor said that his auditory nerve was damaged. He can hear very very little. He could pronounce some of the letters and tries to speak, but we communicate through signs most of the time. I was distressed when I found out my son couldn’t hear; I couldn’t believe it; I kept on thinking why this happened”. 

Indicating that they explain their experiences and discuss solutions at the Committee, Necat goes on to say, “Previously, both my son and I were very stressed and angry. After beginning to attend the Committee, it felt good to speak with other people. Most importantly, I learned how I should act towards my son and to remain calm. Our relationship is much better now. He’s also calmer, and we both show our love to each other”. 

Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM) Southeast Anatolia Regional Coordinator Hasan Can Pala points out that the Committee includes families who have children with disabilities, as well as adults with disabilities. Explaining that “issues such as disability, rights of persons with disabilities, adaptation to social life, access to rights” are discussed in the Committee, Hasan Can Pala conveys, “primarily, we conduct activities in the Committee that facilitate the adaptation of parents having children with disabilities to social life and ensure their socialization. As ASAM, we are also carrying out works to identify the needs of persons with disabilities and find solutions to their problems. We try to develop projects according to their needs”. Drawing attention to the importance disability within the community, Pala states, “The members’ lives are influenced positively owing to the Committee, and they are also able to touch other’s lives and instill conscience to those around them”.