We Will Expand Barrier-Free Solutions - Ekonomist
The restrictions on social life due to the pandemic have made freedom of movement even more important, especially for the elderly and people with disabilities. Esat Tevfik Hancı, the founder of HNC Automotive Consulting and Disability Services (HNC), emphasizes that they have focused on creating home accessibility solutions for elderly, disabled, and mobility-impaired individuals who were forced to stay at home during this period. Hancı states, "We want to expand barrier-free solutions throughout Turkey."
Aram Ekin Duran eduran@ekonomist.com.tr
From the January 2021 issue
HNC Automotive Consulting and Disability Services (HNC), which specializes in vehicle adaptations and the production and marketing of equipment for people with disabilities, elderly individuals, and those with mobility limitations, is one of the successful initiatives in this field.
The company's founder, Esat Tevfik Hancı, who states that they have focused on creating home accessibility solutions during the pandemic for individuals who had to stay at home, adds: "We want to expand barrier-free solutions across Turkey."
We spoke with Hancı about the company’s plans for the future. Below are the questions and answers:
Can you briefly tell us about your company?
As HNC, we provide personalized vehicle adaptations for people with disabilities, elderly individuals, and those with mobility limitations to make their lives easier and help them participate in daily life. In addition, we provide transportation services with specially equipped vehicles for those in need. Since 2012, we have been working in the field of vehicle adaptations and transportation for people with disabilities, elderly individuals, and those with mobility limitations, aiming to contribute to raising awareness and development of this issue in Turkey. I have redirected my 29 years of experience in the automotive industry to this field.
Our primary goal at HNC is to help individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and those with limited mobility move and travel independently, or with minimal dependence, in order to improve their quality of life.
How many people work at your company? What was your revenue at the end of 2019?
By the end of 2019, our total number of employees, including affiliates, was 19. Our revenue for 2019 was approximately 3 million TRY.
What kind of solutions do you offer?
As mentioned earlier, we provide solutions for elderly, disabled, and mobility-impaired individuals. We interpret disability broadly. In today’s world, conditions like MS, ALS, various muscle diseases, or temporary orthopedic surgeries or illnesses can restrict mobility. This makes it difficult even to leave the house. We aim to eliminate these difficulties as much as possible and make life easier for individuals experiencing these challenges, as well as for their caregivers. After determining the individual’s disability, height, and weight, we either apply various adaptations to their existing vehicles or provide solutions through our fleet of vehicles specially designed for people with disabilities, available for rent or sale.
In all of our solutions, we prioritize safety by using products that comply with TSE standards and have CE certifications. As part of the Barrier-Free Movement, we have partnered with Fiat Automotive to spread barrier-free solutions across Turkey.
Do you have any new projects in the upcoming period?
We are currently working on providing special and different transportation services for mobility-impaired individuals, both in public transport and private vehicles, without damaging the vehicle’s mechanics.
How has the global virus pandemic affected your business? What strategy are you following in response to the negative economic effects of the pandemic?
Since our focus is on services for people with disabilities, the elderly, and those with limited mobility, we have unfortunately been negatively affected by the pandemic. As you know, these individuals are part of the high-risk group, and since the beginning of the pandemic, even disabled individuals working in the public sector have been placed on administrative leave and subjected to mandatory isolation.
The automotive industry also experienced a decline of approximately 32% due to the pandemic. As a result, we have shifted our focus to creating home accessibility solutions for elderly, disabled, and mobility-impaired individuals. We have been concentrating on developing special solutions aimed at minimizing dependence on caregivers, such as systems that allow individuals to move from their bed to comfortably navigate their homes, home elevator systems for duplex homes, and more.
In this way, we are trying to make the time spent at home more comfortable and convenient. Additionally, during this period, we are renting out our special lift-equipped vehicles, which allow individuals to travel without leaving their wheelchairs, to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, dialysis centers, and other destinations, either with a driver or without, for daily, weekly, or monthly rentals.
What are your expectations for 2021, given the hopeful developments with vaccines? What is your growth target for 2021?
With the vaccine trials, there have been hopeful developments regarding treatment, but this will be a long-term process. We expect the effects of the pandemic to continue in 2021 and even over the next five years. Therefore, we believe it is more prudent to remain cautious in terms of growth and focus on maintaining the current status while carefully observing the situation.
"WE ARE DEVELOPING SPECIAL SOLUTIONS FOR DISABLED DRIVERS"
"We are a company that has always aimed to use the latest technology in the sector we operate. One of the most important needs of people with disabilities is to travel comfortably without anyone’s assistance.
To address this, we are using and continuously developing seat systems that allow individuals to directly move from their wheelchair to the car seat without getting out of their wheelchair, and fully hand-controlled driving systems for disabled drivers.
We believe that every disability has a solution, and we are confident that we will eliminate these barriers by combining technology with special designs and our workforce."