For more than a decade, Hilton hotels across Türkiye have been working alongside the Türkiye Down Syndrome Association to expand access to meaningful skill and career development opportunities in hospitality for people with Down Syndrome. Through education, job coaching, and inclusive workplace practices, this long-standing partnership has focused on creating real opportunities, helping Team Members build confidence, learn new skills, and thrive in supportive hotel environments. This work reflects a sustained commitment to inclusion, one built through partnership, action, and shared belief in the potential of every individual.
Today, Team Members with Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities are employed across nine Hilton hotels in Türkiye, as well as 15 cafés and restaurants, with continued momentum ahead. As David Kelly, Senior Vice President, Continental Europe, Hilton, puts it: “A more welcoming environment is at the heart of our belief that travel can be a force for good, and this work represents meaningful progress for our communities in Türkiye.”
Team Members hired through the hotel’s partnership with TDSD, like Beyza Nur Erdoğan, Buffet Runner at Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center, describe the opportunity as life-changing. “I love expressing myself, being recognized, and building confidence,” she shares. “Connecting with my colleagues and guests every day makes me proud of what I do.”
Türkiye’s Efforts: Job Coaching and Inclusivity
The Hilton Global Foundation awarded a second grant to TDSD this year, providing an additional USD $350,000 to expand training, job coaching, and on-the-job support. As part of this initiative, each participating hotel designates a trained job coach to support Team Members day to day, while more than 1,500 hospitality professionals receive awareness training focused on communication, collaboration, and inclusion.
At DoubleTree by Hilton Istanbul Gayrettepe, certified job coaches Canan Keskin (HR Manager) and Gökhan Arpacı (F&B Manager) are already seeing the difference. The program, they say, has helped teams better understand one another - creating workplaces where support is proactive and success is shared.
Inclusion You Can See: Dans+1 by Hilton Bomonti
Since 2009, Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center has hosted Dans+1 by Hilton Bomonti, an inclusive dance initiative created to support young people with Down Syndrome through movement, creativity, and community. Open to both Hilton Team Members and participants from the wider community, the group rehearses every week at the hotel with the support of professional coaches and volunteers.
Over the years, Dans+1 has grown into much more than a dance group. Performers regularly take the stage at cultural events, festivals, and community gatherings across Istanbul - building confidence, visibility, and a powerful sense of belonging, while helping audiences understand through lived experience.
For Robert Cem Osborn, Buffet Runner at Hilton Istanbul Bomonti, dancing has been transformative. “I get nervous before going on stage,” he admits, “but when the applause comes, I feel so happy I did it.”
For those supporting the initiative, the impact is just as powerful. Demet Cırı, dance coach for Dans+1, reflects on the experience: “Through movement, I saw how the dancers express their inner world and inspire understanding in others.” Being part of that journey, she says, is a reminder that “potential isn’t defined by labels, but by opportunity, trust, and courage.
"I remember leaving rehearsals with my cheeks sore from smiling so much. Creating opportunities for these special individuals and helping them feel seen and celebrated is truly amazing. Seeing the real impact of what we are doing, and how it spreads, is something I carry with me every day." — Eda Katalan, Sustainability and Community Care Team Member at Hilton Bomonti.
