Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Today, on 23 November, the first "Inclusive Business Forum" is being held in Tashkent in order to promote the practices of inclusive employment of persons with disabilities in Uzbekistan.

Inclusiveness and diversity in the workplace are not just one of the most striking global trends, but also an important condition for the development of a socially oriented and responsible business. For example, tech giant Google has created a special program for recruiting people with disabilities. The company recognizes that in order to develop and implement innovative IT solutions for billions of users around the world, it needs a workforce that represents the interests of the people who use their digital products.

According to the World Health Organization, about 1 billion people or 15% of the world’s population have some form of disability. In 2020, 781.3 thousand persons with disabilities were officially registered in Uzbekistan. But only about 2% of them are officially employed.

The reasons for such a low employment rate for people with disabilities are negative stereotypes and prejudices, employers’ lack of faith in their work qualities, abilities and talents, as well as ubiquitous discrimination on the basis of disability in the open labor market.

How are things going with inclusion in Uzbekistan? Experts note that the global inclusiveness trend has not yet reached our country. People with disabilities are viewed here mainly as recipients of charity and rehabilitation assistance, rather than potential employees of government organizations and the private sector.

To remedy the situation, the Public Association of Persons with Disabilities in Tashkent "SHAROIT PLUS" jointly with the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations, with the support of the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan, is organizing the First Inclusive Business Forum.

The Forum, as a bridge between business and the social sector, is aimed at ensuring decent employment and social protection for people with disabilities in Uzbekistan by introducing inclusive labor practices in the field of business and entrepreneurship.

The event is intended to unite the efforts of public organizations of people with disabilities and local businesses to create equal conditions and a barrier-free working environment for able-bodied people with various forms of disabilities.

At the forum, which will be held in a hybrid format - offline and online, representatives of local large, medium and small businesses will share their experience of successful inclusive employment.

Forum participants will also have the opportunity to discuss various problems and difficulties they faced in the process of hiring people with various forms of disabilities. National and international experts from the UK, Russian Federation and Kazakhstan will also share their experiences of inclusion and share their skills and best practices.