- 1317 - Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi The Journal of International Social Research Cilt: 9 Sayı: 43 Volume: 9 Issue: 43 Nisan 2016 April 2016 www.sosyalarastirmalar.com Issn: 1307-9581 A PRACTICAL RESEARCH ON DISABILITY IN THE PROVINCE OF GÜMÜŞHANE Saime ŞAHİNÖZ * Turgut ŞAHİNÖZ ** Muhammet Ali KÖROĞLU *** Cemile Zehra KÖROĞLU **** Abstract Disability, in today's world, is among the most important health problems and social problems. Rapidly aging world population is increasing the rate of disability. This situation brings importance to disability in terms of health and social policies. In this sense, quantitative data on the disabled people, material and spiritual possibilities offered to disabled people, participation of disabled people in society and self-reliance status of disabled people are the subjects of many researches. In this context, this study was carried out in Gümüşhane province and its surrounding located in the Black Sea region in our country. Thus, there is not enough information about the number of people with disabilities, the rate of different disability groups, and the socioeconomic characteristics of the disable in Gümüşhane province. This study was conducted in order to determine the number of disabled people in Gümüşhane province, to determine the socio- demographic characteristics of the disabled and to create the disability database of Gümüşhane province. Keywords: Gümüşhane, Disability, Disability Rate, Disability Types, Disability Database. I. INTRODUCTION According to Law No. 2828 "Disabled" is; the case of non-compliance with the requirements of normal life; as a result of the loss of varying degrees of physical, mental, emotional and social capabilities because of any injury or accident congenitally or acquired and a person who is in need of prevention, care, rehabilitation, counseling and support services (Social Services Law, 1983). The World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of disability; refers to the situation as a result of a deficiency occurring in health and the loss or restriction of the ability to perform a business compared to a person who would be considered normal (WHO,2014). At the same time congenital abnormalities, abnormalities in the body's external appearance that can not be repaired , body's disproportional shape, disturbances in the development of tissues and organs are discussed in the concept of disability. (Sapancı, 2013:39) In addition to this, disability can be defined as social limitations, discriminatory practices and disadvantages that a person confronts because of his/her disability (Karataş, 2000:4). There are approximately 500 million disabled people in the world. According to the World Health Organization, approximately one quarter of the world population is facing disability directly or indirectly. 80 percent of the world's disabled live in developing countries, and they do not have access to primary services (WHO, 2014; WHO, 2011; WHO, 1981). The World Health Organization accepts disability rate as 10% for developed countries, and 12% for developing countries. According to this statement it is estimated to be 700 million disabled worldwide, and 9 million disabled in Turkey (WHO, 2014; WHO, 2011; WHO, 1981). However, it is widely accepted that disabled people have a lot of common problems waiting to be solved in every society whether advanced or not (Karataş, 2001:10-19). Increase of the number of disabled people each day revealed the need for better explaining of the concepts of disorder, disability and handicap and, WHO clarified the concepts of disorder, disability and handicap in 1980 (Yalın, 2011: 4). Disorder: It refers to the psychological, physiological and anatomical deficiences in the structure of individual. Disability: It is a situation that an action that can be performed under normal conditions can not be fulfilled exactly due to a lack of physical and mental structure. * Doç. Dr., Gümüşhane Üniversitesi, SYO, Acil Afet Yönetimi Bölümü. ** Yrd. Doç. Dr., Gümüşhane Üniversitesi, SYO, Gerontoloji Bölümü. *** Yrd.Doç.Dr., Uşak Üniversitesi, İ.İ.B.F., Sosyal Hizmetler Bölümü. **** Yrd.Doç.Dr., Uşak Üniversitesi, İ.İ.B.F., Sosyal Hizmetler Bölümü.