Abstract:

Like every other country in the world that has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Uzbekistan faces challenges and opportunities in complying with the treaty. In May 2022, questionnaires were sent to approximately 30 state bodies and non-governmental organizations in Uzbekistan regarding the country’s compliance with the CRPD. The responses highlighted several problems: 1) People with disabilities are viewed as recipients of charity and rehabilitation services, not as potential employees of government and private businesses; 2) Financial support for employers hiring people with disabilities and vocational training for these workers have yet to be established; 3) Higher education institutions and mass transit are not accessible.

The goal of a CESS Thematic Discussion would be to explore how a relationship between UWED and Syracuse University might address the challenges facing Uzbekistan. For instance, the first step could be the formation of a disability advisory group (DAG) drawn from a wide range of people with disabilities who have experience and expertise (e.g., the Deaf Society of Uzbekistan), and the adoption of a rights-based approach to human rights law compliance in Uzbekistan. Guided by the DAG, a project of “law reform” bolstering Uzbekistan’s commitment to respecting the rights of people with disabilities under international and national law could consist of the following:

• Adoption of a judicial training program for the entities of the State Party – e.g., judges, prosecutors, police officers – about their responsibilities under the CRPD and domestic law, and adoption of a community-based training program teaching people with disabilities about their rights under the CRPD and domestic law;

• Establishment of a “Trainers Training Trainers” program whereby experts, both disabled and non-disabled, can train people to educate Uzbek society about responsibilities and rights under the CRPD and domestic law;

• A national disability awareness campaign – e.g., a short sign language video with captions and voice-over designed to raise social consciousness about inclusion and equality;

• Directing resources toward the training and certification of Uzbek sign language interpreters.

In addition are ideas for collaboration between UWED and Syracuse University:

• Conduct joint research between UWED’s disability law clinic and Syracuse University’s Disability Rights Clinic (qualitative research designed to amplify disabled people’s narratives of inaccessibility, and to petition for law reform);

• Hold joint Zoom classes between the law students of both universities;

• Host an international disability law moot court competition