The Head of State has set the task of creating an inclusive society. We are obliged to create equal opportunities for people with special needs.
In recent years, our state has begun to pay considerable attention to the issues of inclusive education, creating a barrier-free environment, ensuring infrastructural accessibility, expanding employment opportunities for such persons.
Citizens with special needs should not only enjoy benefits, but also have the opportunity to actively participate in the life of society.
In this regard, Kazakhstan is gradually and consistently building an inclusive social environment. Systemic support for persons with disabilities is characteristic of progressive and socially responsible states.
The procedure for establishing disability has been simplified. Effective normative legal acts have been adopted to ensure barrier-free access of persons with disabilities to required facilities on a doorstep-to-doorstep basis.
Kazakhstan is constantly improving work to ensure the protection of children with special educational needs. Regulations in this area are being updated, taking into account the specifics of the regions and modern standards. Taking into account the special institutions available in the regions, all the services provided by the State, starting from the birth of the child, are provided for.
This work allowed Kazakhstan to initiate a separate “C5+1” platform on the rights of persons with disabilities, which shows Kazakhstan's significant contribution to the promotion of the “C5+1” and leadership in the region, where the principles of respect for human rights are included in the main areas of dialog.
The strategic objectives of achieving sustainability and inclusion are the basis of the National Development Plan of Kazakhstan, and the plan to ensure the rights and improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities (until 2025).
The principles of equal rights and non-discrimination of citizens are reflected in the Constitution (part 2, article 14), as well as in the Social Code, which came into force on July 1 last year.
As for international obligations, Kazakhstan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol to the Convention, thereby committing to further implementation of a set of measures aimed at full integration of persons with disabilities into society.
In early March of this year, Kazakhstan defended the 1st report on the results of the implementation of the Convention.
Kazakhstan is consistently taking measures to improve the mechanism for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities at all levels.
The Presidential Decree of March 28, 2023 created an independent institution of the Commissioner for the Rights of Socially Vulnerable Categories of Population.
Work is currently under way to develop an inclusive policy framework until 2030, pursuant to Decree No. 409 of the Head of State on human rights.
To date, work has been carried out to improve the quality of life of some 725,000 citizens with disabilities and their social integration into society. Measures are being implemented for social rehabilitation and habilitation, ensuring a barrier-free environment and accessibility of services, and modernizing public awareness. The social services system covers about 65,000 persons with disabilities, including more than 26,000 children with disabilities.
To date, 977 organizations provide special social services. Persons with disabilities also undergo social rehabilitation in the social protection system in 35 rehabilitation centers.
As part of the implementation of the Social Code, a project entitled “Small capacity homes” has been launched to provide day care and socialization for children with disabilities in their place of residence and to provide parents with employment opportunities.
A social services portal has been launched, which provides for the right to independently select and receive technical rehabilitation equipment and services at the expense of State funds. A mobile version of the Portal has been introduced, with accessibility for the blind and hard of hearing.
In Kazakhstan, more than twenty-nine thousand persons with disabilities (29,186 persons with disabilities of group 1) are provided with the services of individual assistants, and more than eight thousand are provided with the services of a sign language specialist (8,187).
Today in Kazakhstan the share of employed persons with disabilities in the working age is about one hundred thirty-nine thousand people (138.8 thousand) or 36% (out of 385.8 thousand people of working age).
Three mechanisms are currently being implemented in the area of employment of persons with disabilities.
First, there is a quota of jobs in the amount of 2 to 4% of the number of jobs, excluding jobs in heavy work, work with harmful and hazardous working conditions.
By the end of 2023, about 8 thousand persons with disabilities were employed.
Second, employers are provided with subsidies to reimburse the costs of purchasing, assembling and installing equipment to equip special workplaces. The wages of persons with disabilities employed under this mechanism are subsidized for three years.
Third, measures to promote employment are being implemented as part of the National Entrepreneurship Development Project.
Citizens with disabilities can take training courses on the specialties and qualifications in demand in the labor market, on-the-job training, online training on the basis of the Electronic Labor Exchange, receive free state grants for the implementation of business ideas.
For reference. Within the framework of the National Project in 2023, employment promotion measures covered 34,895 persons with disabilities, including 10,891 persons employed on a permanent basis, 12,549 persons started training under the “Bastau Business” project, and 1,858 persons received grants for the implementation of business ideas.
TEN QOGAM” Social Support Centers have been opened in a number of regions, providing assistance in finding permanent and temporary jobs, consulting, legal and other types of services for persons with disabilities.
Work in this area will continue on an ongoing basis.
In recent years, our state has begun to pay considerable attention to the issues of inclusive education, creating a barrier-free environment, ensuring infrastructural accessibility, expanding employment opportunities for such persons.
Citizens with special needs should not only enjoy benefits, but also have the opportunity to actively participate in the life of society.
In this regard, Kazakhstan is gradually and consistently building an inclusive social environment. Systemic support for persons with disabilities is characteristic of progressive and socially responsible states.
The procedure for establishing disability has been simplified. Effective normative legal acts have been adopted to ensure barrier-free access of persons with disabilities to required facilities on a doorstep-to-doorstep basis.
Kazakhstan is constantly improving work to ensure the protection of children with special educational needs. Regulations in this area are being updated, taking into account the specifics of the regions and modern standards. Taking into account the special institutions available in the regions, all the services provided by the State, starting from the birth of the child, are provided for.
This work allowed Kazakhstan to initiate a separate “C5+1” platform on the rights of persons with disabilities, which shows Kazakhstan's significant contribution to the promotion of the “C5+1” and leadership in the region, where the principles of respect for human rights are included in the main areas of dialog.
The strategic objectives of achieving sustainability and inclusion are the basis of the National Development Plan of Kazakhstan, and the plan to ensure the rights and improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities (until 2025).
The principles of equal rights and non-discrimination of citizens are reflected in the Constitution (part 2, article 14), as well as in the Social Code, which came into force on July 1 last year.
As for international obligations, Kazakhstan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol to the Convention, thereby committing to further implementation of a set of measures aimed at full integration of persons with disabilities into society.
In early March of this year, Kazakhstan defended the 1st report on the results of the implementation of the Convention.
Kazakhstan is consistently taking measures to improve the mechanism for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities at all levels.
The Presidential Decree of March 28, 2023 created an independent institution of the Commissioner for the Rights of Socially Vulnerable Categories of Population.
Work is currently under way to develop an inclusive policy framework until 2030, pursuant to Decree No. 409 of the Head of State on human rights.
To date, work has been carried out to improve the quality of life of some 725,000 citizens with disabilities and their social integration into society. Measures are being implemented for social rehabilitation and habilitation, ensuring a barrier-free environment and accessibility of services, and modernizing public awareness. The social services system covers about 65,000 persons with disabilities, including more than 26,000 children with disabilities.
To date, 977 organizations provide special social services. Persons with disabilities also undergo social rehabilitation in the social protection system in 35 rehabilitation centers.
As part of the implementation of the Social Code, a project entitled “Small capacity homes” has been launched to provide day care and socialization for children with disabilities in their place of residence and to provide parents with employment opportunities.
A social services portal has been launched, which provides for the right to independently select and receive technical rehabilitation equipment and services at the expense of State funds. A mobile version of the Portal has been introduced, with accessibility for the blind and hard of hearing.
In Kazakhstan, more than twenty-nine thousand persons with disabilities (29,186 persons with disabilities of group 1) are provided with the services of individual assistants, and more than eight thousand are provided with the services of a sign language specialist (8,187).
Today in Kazakhstan the share of employed persons with disabilities in the working age is about one hundred thirty-nine thousand people (138.8 thousand) or 36% (out of 385.8 thousand people of working age).
Three mechanisms are currently being implemented in the area of employment of persons with disabilities.
First, there is a quota of jobs in the amount of 2 to 4% of the number of jobs, excluding jobs in heavy work, work with harmful and hazardous working conditions.
By the end of 2023, about 8 thousand persons with disabilities were employed.
Second, employers are provided with subsidies to reimburse the costs of purchasing, assembling and installing equipment to equip special workplaces. The wages of persons with disabilities employed under this mechanism are subsidized for three years.
Third, measures to promote employment are being implemented as part of the National Entrepreneurship Development Project.
Citizens with disabilities can take training courses on the specialties and qualifications in demand in the labor market, on-the-job training, online training on the basis of the Electronic Labor Exchange, receive free state grants for the implementation of business ideas.
For reference. Within the framework of the National Project in 2023, employment promotion measures covered 34,895 persons with disabilities, including 10,891 persons employed on a permanent basis, 12,549 persons started training under the “Bastau Business” project, and 1,858 persons received grants for the implementation of business ideas.
TEN QOGAM” Social Support Centers have been opened in a number of regions, providing assistance in finding permanent and temporary jobs, consulting, legal and other types of services for persons with disabilities.
Work in this area will continue on an ongoing basis.
Usen Suleimen – Director of PF “National Endowment for Prosperity”