Is Kalkan suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility problems?

[Christina]

Providing disabled-friendly facilities seems to be a common theme within the council's new harbour plans, and whilst this is to be applauded, I cannot help but feel that they haven't thought it through properly.

Did the architects consult with user-groups, as we would probably do as a matter of good practice in the UK? There are plans for disabled changing facilities and ramps to a new bathing area, even a lift down from Kaptans Restaurant to Kleo. But I'm struggling to see how wheelchair users are expected to get down from the Moonlight Bar to Kaptans in the first place Every road down from Moonlight is like a ski run.

I spent 3 months in a wheelchair last winter following an accident, and had to cancel my planned New Year trip to KK, as a) few properties are wheelchair-friendly, including my own, and b) the steep hills, uneven roads and high kerbs would have made it impossible for me to go anywhere. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a partner or a carer. Sadly, IMHO KK is simply not a holiday destination I could see a wheelchair user getting maximum enjoyment from.  Few hotels and none of the rooftop restaurants have lifts to my knowledge. Do any owners out there have disabled-friendly properties?

In the UK, public buildings have to comply with the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) - but I doubt if equivalent legislation exists in Turkey. I understand that the new cobbled walkway down to the beach was planned with wheelchair users in mind, but now I'm told by someone whose house overlooks the area that the council have now had to put up metal barriers at the top and bottom of the path as local scooter boys were using it as a race track - now rendering it inaccessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs. In addition, the gradient of the slope is too steep for many able-bodied people to use, let alone a disabled person. Another report I have heard is that the PTT have recently identified a disabled parking space inside for wheelchair users. The only problem is, there are around 20 steps up to the building with no ramp access. 

It would be interesting to hear what wheelchair users think of the proposed town 'master plan' (feedback to the architects can also be given through the KTLN website), or if anyone has successfully holidayed in KK whilst being wheelchair-bound. In short, will the new harbour plans to improve access to wheelchair users open up the resort to a new market, or would it be a tokenistic money-wasting exercise?

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=11818.0

[Mayday1]

Hi Christina,

Both my sister and her son,my nephew,are wheelchair users.I have a property in Kalkan that I would love them to be able to use.We are based in Komurluk,along the unmade service road.Even when the road is done,it would be inaccessible to them.There are a lot of steps down,and the property is far from suitable for their needs (facilities wise )

Kalkan's layout,being on a fairly steep gradient is also totally unsuitable.The shops/banks/restaurants could be improved to help but in reality,this would be a taall order to achieve.
The harbour plans are a red herring in respect of aiming to help disabled people,as the remainder of the infrastructure is just not suitable.

I say this with a heavy heart as I would love my sister to come to kalkan with her son,because she would love it.

[kalkan4eva]

A couple of years ago I broke my foot the day before we arrived in Kalkan and for the first time I realised just how difficult it is to get round the place if you have any mobility issues. Not just the steep gradients, uneven and slippy pavements but as Christina says its the fact that most of the restaurants require a climb up stairs to reach the dining area. I struggled to get round during that stay and we ended up travelling the shortest distance we could to eat - choosing places that were on the flat like Kaya, Ali Baba's and Merkez. We may have ventured down to the Harbour once or twice but negotiating the paths was horrendous - and we only did that because I was trying to prove I was ok and enjoying myself when in fact I was in agony 
I doubt very much if the new proposals will encourage more first-time visitors with limited mobility (the photos of how the village is laid out would be enough to put most people off) but may marginally improve the holidays of regular visitors who have developed disabilities since they've been coming to Kalkan? I don't know. I'm all for changes to the environment, even if they are not to my taste, if it improves access for more people but I think my fear is the changes won't be undertaken in an aesthetically pleasing or complimentary to the existing environment sort-of-way.

[Kalkan regular]

We used to visit with my old dad who in the last few years used a rollator/wheelchair. As his mobility declined we got to learn what we could access and where had toilets that he could use (as he could walk a short distance he could access a toilet if it wasn't up more than the odd shallow step). We used taxis to get around, taxi drivers were generally very good. We could manage the harbour area (he could get out of the chair to get through the barrier and we'd lift the chair over), the top of the town and ground floor restaurants out of of the pedestrianized area. Using taxis we got access to some of the restaurants in the town as they were allowed to open the barrier and take us to points like Doy Doy, where we could access that upper harbour level. Roof top restaurants were not accessible but some with a road seating area (Nar, Kalamaki, the Italian, etc) if notified in advance would set tables for us but as his mobility declined their toilets became inaccessible as they were usually up a few stairs. To get to the centre of the old town we would push him down to wherever we were going such as Merkez and then continue downwards to Akin, where we would have a drink and they would ring for a taxi to pick us up, explaining he was disabled.
It's not ideal but dad so loved Kalkan that it was worth the effort. I also don't know if they have changed the rules re taxi access since they made it one way.