In Kyrgyzstan, measures aimed at protecting the rights and creating an accessible environment for people with disabilities are being actively implemented. This was reported on the air of Birinchi Radio by Ainura Orozbaeva, Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Protection, and Migration.
According to Orozbaeva, an important event occurred in 2025 with the adoption of a new law on persons with disabilities, signed by the president. This law serves as the basis for the practical implementation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified in Kyrgyzstan in 2019.
“We are talking not only about changing terminology but also about our determination to translate international obligations into reality. People with disabilities must have the opportunity to actively participate in social life — this is what inclusion means,” she noted.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that every person should feel comfortable and safe, as well as have the opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights. As of 2025, there are more than 221,000 people with disabilities in the country, among whom 37,000 are children.
The state program "Accessible Country" is aimed not only at assisting people with disabilities but also at supporting other mobility-impaired groups, such as the elderly and pregnant women. The program covers several key areas, including:
- employment;
- inclusive education;
- prosthetics;
- implementation of universal design principles.
The implementation of this program is carried out by the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection, and Migration in cooperation with international organizations such as UNDP. Orozbaeva emphasized that it is important not just to declare an accessible environment but to ensure its real functioning.
The responsibility for implementing the program is placed not only on the ministry but also on all government bodies. For example, when designing new facilities, requirements for the absence of thresholds and the mandatory presence of ramps are already taken into account.
In addition, youth initiatives are actively developing, including projects to create accessibility maps of urban infrastructure, which will help identify convenient and hard-to-reach places in Bishkek.
“We are now more interested not just in the availability of wi-fi but in how convenient the city is for mothers with strollers and people with limited mobility, as well as the accessibility of educational institutions, medical organizations, and government agencies,” Orozbaeva added.
She also reminded about the new law that introduces mandatory quotas for jobs for people with disabilities — at least 5% for organizations with 20 or more employees. Moreover, the law provides for tax benefits, such as:
a reduction of the income tax to 5% for persons with disabilities of the first and second groups;
special benefits for third group individuals with hearing impairments.
According to the Deputy Minister, these measures are aimed at improving employment opportunities and social integration for people with disabilities.
