An analysis into wheelchair users life in relation to outside and interior desing approaches in Ankara

Each and every handicapped or non-handicapped person have the right to livedue to the phrase ?Life, freedom and personal security is the right of eachhuman being? stated in the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights to phrase ?Disabled individuals have the same personal andpolitical rights with others? stated in the Declaration of the Rights of theDisabled Individuals, and to Article 12 of Constitution of Republic of Turkeywhich states ?Every individual bears untouchable, non-assignable,indispensable fundamental rights and freedoms based on his or herpersonality.? Besides providing services for improving the life conditions andsocial standards of the disabled individuals with the effect of the equalityconcept found in the examples of developed countries, environments which canbe used by everybody are created considering that the physically disabledindividuals can meet their own needs like other individuals. However, in theexamples of developing and underdeveloped states, the legal, architectural andbusiness obstacles cast before the disabled individuals, are considered to hinderenjoying the right to live by them.Starting from this point, in this study it is aimed to determine and analyze thequality of life, indoor and outdoor easiness or difficultness of use within theframework of right to live of the disabled individuals (wheelchair users) inTurkey, which is a developing country and a candidate for European Union.Under this context, capital city Ankara is chosen as the field survey setting andquestionnaires are applied to the disabled individuals living in this city. As aresult of the research, it is determined that factors such as residences, fittings,furniture, environment, roads, social facilities, mass transportation vehicleshinder the use of the wheelchair users in indoor and outdoor places, get theirlives difficult and limit their quality of life, therefore cast obstacle for enjoyingtheir right to live.Key words : Wheelchair users, life rights, indoor and outdoor places