Becoming a blind teacher in Turkey: A long journey

1 Narrative introduction

I am a scholar, a social psychologist, from Turkey who has practical and academic experience in relation to disability [1]. This paper aims to provide the personal narrative of Hakan (a pseudonym); more specifically this is the journey of a visually impaired 35 year-old man towards becoming a teacher. Hakan lost his vision gradually due to a genetic condition called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The accounts begin with his initial work experiences. The work life of Hakan started with various forms of hawking (i.e. act of selling in the street by shouting) jobs, continued with a more established, governmental job where he became a switchboard operator. Finally, for the last five years, he has been a teacher in a special school. He also re-started his history degree at university. The interview with Hakan was conducted by the author and lasted nearly an hour. He agreed to tell his story, have it shared through this column and chose this pseudonym himself. The transcriptions provided below were read back to the participant for respondent validation procedure [2]. The narrative of Hakan’s work trajectory and his transitions are presented first followed by post scripts by the author to provide a contextual understanding of the work disability backdrop in Turkey.

2 Hakan’s story

My initial job was hawking. I was selling sunflower seeds (a type of popular snack) in my local neighborhood and during a sweet melon festival. It was a good opportunity since I need money; I was only 13 years old. Then I started selling snacks nearby a school that did not have a canteen. Similarly during summer holidays, I was selling boiled corn. Then a park with an artificial lake was opened nearby and I start to work in a lunch counter, selling snacks and also helping people to get on to boats. Of course my sight was better in those days. This was my first job as an employee. But hawking was my primary job. I was selling vegetables, fruits, fresh fish, chestnuts and even jetton (i.e. tokens) for phones. Since I was living in a rural part of the city that did not have enough markets, all these products were popular.

At grade six, I left the school for one year. This is mainly because my eyesight was going worse. My teachers did not really know what to do. My family was silent, not really helpful. It was a complete mess. Therefore, I failed that year and stayed at home. Then, I re-started and finished the junior high school.

During high school, I met other blind people though a national blind association and I realized that hawking in the city center could be more productive. I sold a variety of different products such as adhesive plasters, balloons, socks or wallets. This was the only opportunity if you did not have proper education. During high school, I began to use readers during the exams. However, this was not a standardized procedure. The readers were generally my friends. From my current knowledge, I can say that this is not an appropriate method.

The university entrance exam was an important turning point for me. I choose to study Literature because during the time that I made that chose, the graduates could easily find jobs as teachers. It was a practical choice. In fact, I would have liked to study history. But I had to think about my finance. Today, after 18 years, I started studying history and really enjoying it, although it is hard in terms of time management.

During the university years, I had a number of scholarships, although they were not that stable, I was relatively wealthier. My friends read the relevant materials for me. I also recorded the classes to cassettes. Hundreds of cassettes … they were really really heavy. After the graduation, since the relevant regulations have changed, I had to do a masters to become a teacher. I applied to the university that I graduated from but a jury member told me that it would not be possible for me to become a teacher because I can’t see. This was an apparent discrimination. I did nothing. I just applied to another university, which did not have an oral examination procedure. Since they did not see me, there was no problem in getting in. This was unfortunate but true.

After graduation, I looked for jobs. I applied a number of places all around the country but did not get a positive reply. The severity of my condition also made the issue more hectic. Most employers were looking for disabled people, who would fill the relevant quotas but do not look disabled and do not need any accommodation. Candidates with internal diseases or the ones with mild conditions were popular. After a year and a half, I was able to find a government job. This was great, but no accommodation again. I became a switchboard operator, which was one of the most frequent jobs among disabled people, especially blind people who have university degrees! I was not provided a computer or a voice recorder. I used my personal computer. However, people tried to help, for instance in the cafeteria, they served my meal to the table.

After 5 years working as an operator, I entered to an exam was that specifically designed for hiring disabled teachers. This was a kind of positive discrimination. We had the chance to choose the city and even the district that we would like to work. However, during the process of working no accommodation was provided, one more time. Audiobooks were not available; there were not the scheme of personal assistants …   My wife read the books for me. Access to the materials is a constant problem for me both for my education and work life.

I am now working in a special school. The students are living in an isolated place. They generally have little concern for the future. They think that, they would easily find a place to work due to the enforced quota system. Unfortunately, this is not that smooth. I try to talk about the real life …   But at the same time, I should not let them down. Not an easy job. However, after all these experiences, I feel resilient.

At each stage in my life, there is the need to prove my condition (i.e. loss of sight and degree of medical impairment), again and again. When I would apply for the university entrance examination, when my father was died and I needed to apply for orphan pension, when I needed exemption from military service or for my job applications. I might have more than ten medical reports, which are more or less the same.

I like my job. However, there are a number of problems that hinder my enjoyment. Establishment of relevant support services is essential. For instance, there should be an orientation procedure for all disabled employees, especially for the teachers. Equipment such as recording devices or computers with screen reader programs might be provided. A personal assistant might be really helpful, since teaching involves several paper-pencil works. Even in-school physical orientation is lacking.

3 Postscripts on Hakan’s story

Hakan’s condition, retinitis pigmentosa, is a genetically transmitted, prevalent eye condition in Turkey. All around the world, the prevalence of RP is one in 2000 individuals [3]. The estimated number of RP patients in Turkey is 25.000 [4]. It is stated that there were not exact numbers in relation to the prevalence of RP but it is higher than the averages due to kin marriages [5]. A recent evaluation among 193 RP patients revealed that 59% of these had a family history of kin marriages. There were 31% females and 69% males [6]. Atmaca and colleagues stated similar percentages. Among 62 patients, there were 39 males (62.9%) and 23 females (37.1%) [7].

In Turkey kin marriages are still prominent [8]. A kin marriage is a marriage between blood relatives. Marrying with nephews, uncles, aunts or sisters and brothers are prohibited by the code of civil law [9]. These types of marriages were also prevented in Islam. The prevalence of kin marriages in Turkey is specified as 25%, however there are significant regional differences, ranging from 17% to 36% [10]. According to Koc’s [11] analysis the prevalence of this type of marriages is 22%. The percentage of kin marriages among the parents of the students attending blind schools in the East Mediterranean region in Turkey was 57.8% (i.e. first cousins or children of cousins). Among these 185 students 75 of them had a retinal disease [8]. The reasons of kin marriages are regarded as economic (i.e. the wealth would stay within the family), conservatism (i.e. do not let the girl to marry someone outside of the family) or some sort of benefit-related reasons (i.e. a relative would serve and care better than someone outside of the family) [12]. The most preferred type within kin marriages is the marriage of patriarchal cousins [13]. In Hakan‘s case, his parents were patriarchal first cousins.

Turkey is a developing, secular, predominantly Muslim country where the psychological, social and physical environment is mainly disability unfriendly [14, 15]. For instance, there are important physical limitations such as the lack of ramps, accessible pedestrian signals or hearing loops. In addition to physical restraints, social, educational and labour market access to services and supports is also limited [14]. It is stated that only 21.7% of disabled people could contribute to labour force [16].

A charity-based approach to disability is enforced [17]. So, as Shakespeare [18], a pioneer disability scholar and activist indicated, it is a complex predicament. Even though, the narrative of the author discusses disability within the social model emphasizing that people are disabled not by their impairments but by the society [19]; the predominant model of disability in Turkey is medical. Medical model equates disability with impairment and defines it within clinical terms. On the other hand, social model argues that social oppressions are the main sources of disability [20–22]. Further to the medical model of disability in Turkey, disability is viewed as a tragic phenomenon and an enduring vicious cycle in relation to disability was created by the society [15]. The medical report procedure mentioned by Hakan is the fact that, to be qualified as disabled you need to get a 40% report [1] and unfortunately each repetitive medical report process is requires time, energy and money.

Paid work is a valuable and meaningful piece of adult life [23]. The quota method, which was discussed as having a limited value, was currently implemented in Turkey [24]. A survey conducted among 198 visually impaired adults in Turkey concluded that, participants might be experiencing underemployment due to the widespread prejudices within the society. For instance, 38% of the employed participants were switchboard operators and 29% of them had college or university degrees. In addition, only 31 (out of 144) participants had professional jobs [25]. In 2010, the Ministry of Education designed a separate examination for disabled employees. There were 5000 positions and 1000 of them were for teachers [26]. Hakan was one of the teachers that could be appointed after that exam. Although the number of job openings could be regarded as a considerable, during those years the vast majority of unemployed disabled applicants were teachers. The main reason that so many disabled applicants were unemployed teachers was mainly due to the regulation, which required that each prospective teacher have to get a medical report that says ‘the person could serve nationwide during all climate conditions’. Many of them were unable to meet this requirement. The current regulation is relatively more inclusive, recognizing disabled applicants [27], the previous regulation (see [28] for an example) hindered most of the disabled teachers. Currently, each year a separate general exam was conducted for all disabled applicants who had a high school diploma or more. For the ones who have lower level of education, there is the procedure of drawing lots [29]. In Turkey, one of the most frequent jobs conducted by visually impaired people is switchboard operator. This is not a legislative but a practical issue. In both governmental and private institutions visually impaired employees, especially the ones with severe conditions, are usually given that role. Paradoxically, all around the country, there are a number of over-qualified switchboard operators such as employees with teaching, law or social sciences degrees. Hakan was one of them, he had a teaching degree, six years of university education and he was an operator for five years.

Hakan argued that he did the hawking jobs as they were the only options and he needed money. Becoming a switchboard operator is something better but not appropriate for his potential. He likes teaching but the unsupportive environment shaded his experience. Seligman [30] defined three different work orientations, namely job, a career and a calling. You do a job for the paycheck, and when the money stops you quit. A career requires a deeper personal commitment. In addition to money, prestige and power are also important. Besides, a calling needs commitment to work for its own sake and involves joy. Hakan described his first stable work (i.e. switchboard operator) as a job. His work orientation for the teaching job was defining it as a career. The work transition for Hakan started at a young age and continued throughout the life course. The journey began with small-scale unprofessional jobs and end up with a teaching profession. However, it is probable that, it would not be the ending point. It is the story of a person who becomes a blind teacher, not just teacher who is blind. Within the troubled, disabling environment, an impairment might (unfortunately) define someone‘s experiences. In fact, impairment might be only one of the factors that determine employment-related prospects [31]. It might be further discussed that being a blind teacher might be a completely different experience in a different context.

4 Reflective questions for deeper insight and discussion into resources and supports in work transitions

This narrative underscores the development of a sensory condition that renders limitations and impairments in this context of the medical model of disability. It also reveals aspects of self-management of accommodations that are key in other types of sensory disabilities such as in hearing loss. Read the research article written by Shaw, L., Tetzlaff, B., Jennings, M.B. Southall, K entitled: The standpoint of persons with hearing loss on work disparities and workplace accommodations, in WORK, 46 (3) 193–204 and reflect on the similarities and differences in approaches to self-accommodations that persons with sensory disabilities have shared in this work transition narrative and those with hearing loss. Consider how self-accommodation is a means to developing employment related resilience in persons with disabilities and how this insight may be useful to you in your health or rehabilitation context in serving to develop work related or employment supports.

Being prepared for unexpected work transitions is not easy to plan for. However when we reflect and consider what things inadvertently help us prepare for employment transitions we could begin to develop them in our programs and approaches or even policies. Consider the benefits of informal and formal participation in the labour market economy and how it can support the development employment skills and develop the capacity at the individual level to navigate changes in the labour market economy. Consider in your context how can we create school to work transitions for persons with disabilities that include skills, knowledge and experiences through paid work opportunities?

Life-long learning is part of being ready and being prepared to act when opportunities change through policies. In what way can life-long learning be supported for persons with disabilities for those acquire impairments in the workplace or through medical conditions? What policies are needed to maintain capacity and competencies for new work opportunities in the changing global economy?

This work transition narrative depicts the importance of understanding the broader ecosystems in work and opportunities for work and inclusive exist within a context. Map out the ecosystems in this narrative, then for comparison do the same mapping in your context. What are the similarities and differences? What is needed to enhance inclusion within the ecosystems you have mapped?

What is the standpoint (in your context) on the use and reference to disability in the workplace or in the labour market support system? Are individuals referred to as persons with a disability or disabled persons? What has shaped the use of terms and how does the standpoint on disability influence inclusion or exclusion in the workplace or in accessing employment?

(If you wish to discuss further, please contact the column editor, Lynn Shaw: E-mail: lynn.e.shaw80@gmail.com)