This training was organized within the framework of the UNDP ACCESS project, which aims at providing support to people with disabilities in promotion of their interests. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of staff working in employment centres in the area of disability, to develop knowledge and skills on employment of people with disabilities, and to draft recommendations on improvement of mechanisms of employment of people with disabilities.

Given the workload of training participants (directors, deputy directors and specialists of the capital’s 11 employment support centres), it was decided to conduct one whole day training per week during 6 weeks.

Training participants noted that the Government of Uzbekistan paid significant attention to the issue of rehabilitation of people with disabilities and their social integration. It is worth mentioning that the issue of employment of people with disabilities - a major element of any comprehensive rehabilitation program for people with disabilities - is dealt with as a matter of priority. The country has developed and adopted a number of laws and bylaws, and ratified a number of international conventions and declarations. Currently, there is a debate on the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities by the Republic of Uzbekistan.

At the same time, participants emphasized that despite country’s achievements in the area of social integration of people with disabilities, there were a number of issues that were yet to be tackled. As one of the most important problems, participants pointed to the fact that people with 1st and 2nd categories of disabilities were recognized as “incapable to labour” or “partly capable to labour”. These results in the labour potential of this group of population - thousands of people - not being reclaimed, and people with disabilities, instead of making their contribution to the development of the country, remain but users of social protection programs. Another detriment is the fact that working people with disabilities of the 3rd (lightest) category loose 50% of their pension dues, which negatively affects their motivation to search for a job.

Participants came to a unanimous opinion that this training should be seen as the first step in collaboration towards expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and agreed that this work should be continued in 2009. In particular, a joint action plan will be developed with the Tashkent City Department of Labour and Social Protection of Population and employment support centres, which will include, among others, job-fairs for people with disabilities, trainings for employers, and other events.

Joint Project “ACCESS” (promoting Accessibility, Civic Consciousness, Employment, and Social Support for people with disabilities) of the United Nations Development Program and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population is aimed at expanding opportunities of social integration and employment for people with disabilities through raising public awareness and forming positive public opinion in the area of disability, improving coordination and capacity building of State and non-government organizations in implementation of national legislation on disability, promoting accessibility of social infrastructure, and creating a system of social support to employment of people with disabilities.