December 3, 2025

Hamza Mesut Ağır, a 24-year-old final-year medical intern living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bone disease), has turned his childhood dream of becoming a doctor—born in the hospital corridors where he spent much of his early life—into reality. The challenges he has overcome while using a wheelchair have shaped him into a future physician now preparing to provide care and healing to patients.

Ağır, a 6th-year medical student at Lokman Hekim University Faculty of Medicine, explained that the inspiration he received from his doctors during childhood motivated him greatly, adding that their words “Your communication skills are very strong, you should consider becoming a doctor” played a decisive role in choosing this profession.

Facing numerous physical challenges due to brittle bone disease, Ağır noted that the accommodations made for wheelchair users at the university made his academic life significantly easier. “I struggled more during middle school and high school, but the university helped me a lot in this regard. Being inside the hospital environment has also been an advantage for me,” he said.

Emphasizing that arrangements were made by faculty members and administrators before he began university to ensure that his clinical rotation areas were accessible, Ağır highlighted the critical role of the university’s Disability Support Units in raising awareness and providing swift solutions for students with disabilities.

“If others have done it, I can do it too”

Ağır stated that throughout his education and in his approach to life, he was guided by the belief that “If others have done it, I can do it too.” He said that the most important factor in choosing medical school was the success of other physicians with disabilities around the world. “The presence of many disabled doctors in Türkiye and abroad gave me courage. Seeing them made me say, ‘If they can do it, I can do it too,’ and that’s how I embarked on this journey,” the young doctor explained.

Expressing his desire to set an example for disabled students who wish to study medicine and to show that they can be active individuals in society, he added, “There are many people who supported me when I was struggling and feeling discouraged. People see the part where we commute together to the university, but I must especially thank my mother, who has always been by my side.”

A Mother’s Dream Comes True: “My only wish was for him to be someone who helps others, not someone who always needs help”

Hamza’s greatest supporter, his mother Hatice Ağır, shared her feelings: “My only goal was for him not to be someone dependent on others, but someone who helps others. For him to achieve something in life means that we will have peace of mind when we are no longer here.”

Expressing her great excitement for the graduation ceremony, she said, “The moment Hamza receives his diploma will be the peak of my 18-year-long dream.”

CoHE President Özvar: “Full, effective, and equal participation of individuals with disabilities in higher education is essential”

President of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) Erol Özvar emphasized the importance they place on ensuring full, effective, and equal participation of individuals with disabilities in higher education, noting that universities run accessibility-focused initiatives through their disability student coordination units.

Recalling that they present the annual Barrier-Free University Awards to raise awareness regarding students with disabilities, Özvar stated, “Through these awards, we are encouraged by the efforts of our higher education institutions to ensure full, effective, and equal participation of individuals with disabilities in higher education.”

Özvar also underlined that understanding the number of students with disabilities and the nature of their disabilities, taking appropriate measures accordingly, and ensuring these students are reached are among the key responsibilities of universities in removing barriers on campuses.