On the second Sunday of October, Kazakhstan celebrates the Day of Persons with Disabilities (hereinafter referred to as PWD). More than 732 thousand people with special needs live in the republic. Social support and improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities are one of the main areas of state policy and one of the primary tasks of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter referred to as MLSP).

Of the 732.1 thousand PWD living in Kazakhstan today, 418.6 thousand are of working age (57.2%), 201.1 thousand are of retirement age (27.5%), 112.3 thousand are children under 18 (15.3%).

“The state consistently takes systemic measures to improve the quality of life of people with special needs and their social integration into society.

To ensure the rights and legitimate interests of persons with disabilities, Kazakhstan has a multi-level social protection system, including: state assistance and support in the form of benefits and social payments; compensation for lost body functions within the framework of social rehabilitation; provision of special social services.

As part of the implementation of the Social Code, social support measures for persons with disabilities were significantly strengthened from July 1, 2023.

For the convenience of citizens, the Social Services Portal (hereinafter referred to as the PSU) was launched in 2020, which allows persons with disabilities to independently choose the manufacturer and supplier of technical equipment (hereinafter referred to as TSR) and rehabilitation services.

To date, 895 centers for the provision of special social services (branches), 792 TSR suppliers, more than 30 thousandproviders of personal assistant services, 756 sign language services and 125 health resort treatment services.

In order to simplify and ensure transparency of the disability determination procedure, as well as to eliminate red tape and contact between service providers and service recipients, a pilot project is being implemented in the country to introduce an in absentia proactive format for conducting medical and social examinations. To do this, the patient only needs to contact the clinic at the place of attachment and undergo the necessary examination, the rest of the processes are carried out without his participation due to the integration of information systems.

The examination in absentia is carried out for 30 nosological forms. As of October 1 of this year, more than 68.8 thousand applications from all regions of Kazakhstan have been reviewed in the in absentia proactive format, which is 37.2% of the public services provided.

The construction of new large rehabilitation centers (hereinafter referred to as RC) for 150 places has begun in 12 regions of the country (Akmola, Aktobe, Atyrau, Abay, Zhetysu, Zhambyl, West Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, Turkestan regions, the cities of Almaty, Astana, Shymkent). RCs have already been commissioned in Semey, Abay region, and Taraz, Zhambyl region. The construction in Kentau, Turkestan region, is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

At the same time, with the support of the Kazakhstan Halkyna Public Foundation, work is underway to open day care centers for children with autism spectrum disorder and other mental disabilities in 8 regions of the country (Aktobe, Zhetysu, Zhambyl, East Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Pavlodar regions, the cities of Almaty and Shymkent).

 

gov.kz

translated by Qazalem