Realization of the right to work for people with disabilities in Kazakhstan

23 November 2016

On 23 November a round table was held in Alma Management University. The theme of the round table: Realization of the right to work of persons with disabilities in Kazakhstan.

The event was organized by Soros Foundation-Kazakhstan, attended by the UNESCO Office in Almaty, NGO, National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, the Union of Organizations of the Disabled, governmental and public organizations.

According to channel 24 KZ at 1 November 2015 had registered 625000 persons with disabilities, 404000 from them represents the able-bodied population and only 8738 from them found employment.

During the round table participants highlighted complex basic barriers facing the persons with disabilities in accessing the labour market:

• Public attitude towards people with disabilities;

• Infrastructure barriers;

• Access to information.

Participants ©Soros-Kazakhstan

Parkhat Usupdzhanov, President of youth Organization of the people with disabilities Zhiger ©Soros-Kazakhstan

UNESCO Office in Almaty presented the presentation: UNESCO Programme YouthMobile - opportunities of employment. YouthMobile Initiative gives opportunity for youth to solve problems of sustainable development and youth unemployment and problems of the setting up small-scale businesses with help of the mobile applications.

True stories of the successful employment of disabled persons were presented by the nongovernmental organizations: employment experience of disabled persons in Coca Cola Almaty Bottlers, Bank Home Creit - the bank of the equal opportunities for all, online sign language interpretation - an effective tool for interpersonal Communication.

At the end of the Round Table participants formulated a set of recommendations. Necessary decide the problems, related to equal access to the labour market:

• To conduct professional trainings, retraining personnel and professional development courses the demanded working specialities;

• To provide optimal conditions for successful social development of people with disabilities;

• Insufficient numbers of qualified professionals of sign language;

• To elimination barriers for visually impaired persons;

• To conduct information activities to overcome the negative stereotypes of the community against women and girls with disabilities and their employment.

Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/on-23-november-a-round-table-was-held-in-alma-management-university-the-theme-of-the