We are very proud to announce that IFHOHYP member Zeynep Çakir was giving a Ted talk during a TEDx Women event in Istanbul. Zeynep is part of the Turkish Happy Faces Association for people with Treacher Collins Syndrome. She was invited by the TED event organisers to talk about her story, her work to raise awareness through the association, and the effects of the disability on her life.
TC Syndrome is characterised by deformities in the face including the ears, which results in hearing loss.
Her hearing disability and the social obstacles she is facing due to her deformed face, did not stop her from becoming a lawyer. In the court room she is using hearing aids, but sometimes, she says, it’s very hard to hear the judge because the conditions are not convenient.
However, did she give up? Of course not! She explains that she is happy to have a disability as a lawyer because it gives her awareness to understand other people with disabilities. She goes with the motto: ”I don’t have any problems with society but I know that society always has a problem with me.”
In her free time, Zeynep does volunteer work for her association in legal matters, and more importantly, raising awareness about people who have a disfigured face. To battle the prejudgement of other people, she likes to remind them that she is just like everyone else: “My eyes are blue like your eyes. I'm like you.” she says.
IFHOHYP is admiring Zeynep's strength and openness and we encourage you to watch her talk, which is in Turkish but motivating to watch nonetheless: https://buff.ly/3gb5KDa
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