Disability Inclusion Training for Social Work University Lecturers

Promoting disability inclusion

The EU-SPS capacity development work in Kyrgyzstan focused on social protection curriculum development and particularly on the strengthening of disability inclusion aspects in the training of Kyrgyz social workers and other social protection professionals. This work aimed at promoting the rights of persons with disabilities by developing the professional knowledge, skills and attitudes of social workers, professionals of mother and child care and other social protection professionals through social work curriculum development at relevant national universities. 

First phase: analysis of the existing social work curricula

At the first phase of EU-SPS work in Kyrgyzstan in first half of 2017, the social work discipline curricula of Kyrgyz universities at the Bishkek University of Humanities and Osh State University were studied and analysed. Based on the professional analysis and recommendations, trainings of trainers were planned following the recommendations and conducted at the Bishkek University of Humanities and at the Osh State University in October 2017. 

The Training of Trainers on disability inclusion for university lecturers in Bishkek and Osh

The first Training of Trainers on disability inclusion for university lecturers of social work was organised in October 2017. In total some 30 university lecturers were trained both in Bishkek and in Osh. The main trainers for the two weeks’ of training were Dr. Hisayo Katsui, university lecturer in disability studies at Helsinki University, Finland and international consultant at Abilis Foundation, and Dr. Gulmira Kazakunova, the executive director of a Kyrgyz organization of persons with disabilities, Ravenstvo and local consultant at Abilis Foundation.

In addition to the main trainers, guest lecturers also delivered their lectures. In the Bishkek training, Tolkunbek Isakov, a blind lawyer, shared detailed information on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Ukei Muratalieva, a designer with a physical disability, on gender and disability; and Seinep Dyikanbaeva, a young disability activist and law graduate, on empowerment of persons with disabilities through her life experiences. In the Osh training, Marina Fegele and Aigul Mitalipova, who are leaders of local organisations of persons with disabilities, delivered their guest lectures on participation and empowerment of persons with disabilities respectively. 

Read more about the training here.

For more information on Abilis and Ravenstvo, please visit:
Abilis Foundation
Ravenstvo

Final version of the disability Inclusion teaching module for the university curricula available soon

Based on the two trainings of trainers and in particular the discussions held during these trainings, a locally relevant teaching module in Russian has been produced on social and human rights-based approaches to disability, empowerment and participation in collaboration with university social work lecturers and with the Ministry of Labour and Social Development. The module will be used for teaching and training of in-service and pre-service social workers as well as para-professionals in Kyrgyzstan. 

The module's materials will be made available through the EU-SPS website shortly and will be available both in English and in Russian.

For questions and more information, please contact Heidi-Maria Helenius (heidi-maria.helenius(a)thl.fi).