Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- ACCESS (accessibility, civic consciousness, employment and social support for people with disabilities), joint project of UNDP and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan, is conducting training on disability awareness with participation of 20 members of the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan from the cities of Tashkent, Samarqand and Karshi on 3-4 March 2010.

The project ACCESS is aimed at enhancing the capacity of social integration and employment of people with disabilities by raising public awareness and creating a positive public opinion on issues of disability; improve coordination and enhance the capacity of public and private entities for the implementation of national legislation on disability; promote the accessibility of social infrastructure; establishing a system of social support and employment of people with disabilities.

The purpose of the training – is to develop participants’ understanding of disability, to prepare them to work with people with disabilities. During the training, participants will receive information on the definition of disability and patterns of disability by showing the benefits of the social model in comparison with medical, administrative, and defectological models; examined attitudes towards people with disabilities; identified the barriers faced by people with disabilities.

Also, participants will become familiar with the basic principles of non-discriminatory approach in working with persons with disabilities; they will discuss the ethical norms and rules relating to people with disabilities; analyze the Uzbek legislation governing the rights of people with disabilities. At the end of the training there will be developed a joint action plan of the ACCESS project staff and members People’s Democratic Party in stimulating people with disabilities in the political life of society.