Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- “ACCESS” joint project of the Ministry of Labor and Social protection of Uzbekistan and United Nations Development Program in cooperation with Republican Center for Social Adaptation of Children are organizing event devoted to International Day of Persons with Disability on 3 December. This is a perfect opportunity to oversee annual activity of the project and to present products of public awareness campaign.

“ACCESS” joint project was established in August, 2008. The project based its activity on four directions, which are: “accessibility”, “civic consciousness”, “employment”, and “social support”.

Under the agenda of public awareness campaign 120 informative banners have been posted in cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, Qarshi and Bukhara. More than 30.000 posters were published and distributed among the partner organizations. Around 700 social service specialists, over 60 representatives of NGOs, over 60 journalists, 210 students of special colleges and 58 chiefs of the enterprises were trained on the subject of disability understanding.

Within the partnership of “ACCESS” project there were conducted two International Forums in 2008-2009 devoted to the issue of “Inclusive Education of Children”. Moreover in cooperation with State Architecture and Construction Commettee it was succeeded to make accessible all newly projected public buildings, especially in pilot regions such as: Samarkand, Shahrisabz and Yunusabad district of Tashkent city. Nowadays 60 percent of ready public buildings are accessible for people with disability.

As the employment issue is highly prioritized case in the Republic, “ACCESS” project is supporting local employment centers in the pilot regions to employ people with disability and by now over 330 people with disability have found their jobs in cities of Samarkand, Shahrisabz and Yunusabad district of Tashkent city. With a help of “ACCESS” project for better enhancement of employment of people with disability, there were established three clubs of people with disability.

“ACCESS” project announced the contest for “The Best Media Product” covering the problems of people with disability and arising public awareness on this issue. 23 journalists with over 60 materials have competed to be the best and only four of them were found as the winners of the contest.

Moreover “ACCESS” joint project has just announced a new contest for “The Best Business Plan” in establishing successful social enterprises. This contest is open for all nongovernmental organization specialized or not specialized on social problems and products, business entrepreneurships, and other juridical individuals. By the end of the contest only six social enterprises will be announced as the winners and awarded with financial or technical assistance offered by “ACCESS” project.