On May 13 of this year, a roundtable discussion was held in Tashkent within the framework of the project “Socio-economic inclusion of youth with disabilities, in difficult life situations, and in need of social protection”, implemented by the Yuksalish Movement and the “Umidvorlik” Center in cooperation with the German non-governmental organization Solidaritätsdienst International e.V. (SODI).

The event analyzed the access to information technologies for socially vulnerable groups, the opportunities and challenges they face, ways to support them, and the role of training centers and private educational institutions in improving their education and career prospects.

In particular, the head of the “Business Factory” Entrepreneurship Center, Aziz Vafoyev, provided information about how young people are being trained to trade on online marketplaces, especially “Uzum Market,” and about the achievements made so far. The center has established cooperation with the Youth Social Center and has been organizing free training courses.

It was emphasized that the Youth Social Center offers free classes in web programming, artificial intelligence, and video editing.

Dinara Jamoliddinova, project manager of IT-Academy, highlighted efforts to improve digital literacy among people with hearing impairments, especially their ability to use social media platforms. Within the framework of the project, the IT4Everyone initiative focused on IT education was launched, involving not only citizens of Uzbekistan but also of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Ozod Qurbonov, PhD in Philology and founder of the “Tiflo-Media” audio journal, spoke about how people with visual impairments use online tools.

“Today, blind people have the opportunity to stay informed and access the information they need. Special programs and mobile applications have been developed for this. Today, blind people can read not only electronic books but also printed books through special programs. Braille is no longer required,” he said.

During the roundtable, along with the achievements, attention was also paid to the problems that still need to be solved. It was noted that people with visual impairments face certain difficulties when receiving public services and withdrawing cash from ATMs. As a solution, the idea of voice-enabled ATMs was proposed.

For reference: The purpose of the project “Socio-Economic Inclusion of Youth with Disabilities, in Difficult Life Situations, and in Need of Social Protection” is to improve the quality of life for young people aged 18–35 with disabilities by providing innovative services and expanding their opportunities to realize their rights, as well as personal and professional potential. As part of the project, a Youth Social Center has been opened in Tashkent.

“Center's hotline”: +998 95 196 97 97