Public school No. 298 in Tashkent has become the first school in Uzbekistan to have accessible and inclusive infrastructure, allowing children with disabilities to move freely, learn and interact with peers and teachers. Gazeta.uz correspondent visited the school.
The project to create an inclusive, barrier-free learning environment and equal opportunities for special children aligns with the Concept for development of the national education system until 2030 and is a collaboration between the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Zamin Foundation.
School No. 298 was selected as an experimental site in the summer of 2023. Construction and design work, based on UNICEF’s universal design guidelines for schools, began in January 2024. Within six months, the first floor of the school and its yard were adapted to the needs of children with disabilities.
The first phase focused on adapting the elementary school’s first floor, including classrooms, corridors, the canteen, gym and medical center. The school now has tactile tiles and floor markings for visually impaired and blind children, ramps at the entrance and an elevator for students in wheelchairs. Further adaptations to upper floors are planned.
A separate accessible bathroom is equipped with a call button for assistance.
“We are exited to become the first educational institution with all conditions for educating children with disabilities,” said the school’s director Nargiza Tashkhojaeva. “Inclusion is the process of involving all people, regardless of their disabilities, in full social life. Whether a child’s special needs are physical, mental, intellectual or other, every child deserves a quality education”.
To support the school’s transformation, teachers underwent specialized training, provided with UNICEF’s help, on working with children with special needs. Additionally, a team of specialists, including a psychologist, speech therapist and defectologist, has been established to support both students and their families.
Four students with disabilities, including children with cerebral palsy, autism and hearing impairments, are enrolled for the 2024−2025 school year. Their education will be adapted to their individual needs, combining efforts from regular and specialized teachers with customized curricula.
Looking ahead, the school plans to expand its inclusive infrastructure to all floors, hire additional specialized teachers and increase enrollment for children with disabilities in higher grades.
“The state is taking steps to create an inclusive environment. However, it is important to promote this idea among the population,” the director emphasized. “There are many stereotypes in society about people with disabilities, which has a negative impact on the development of the system. The more tolerant the society is, the easier it is to introduce inclusion and, most importantly, to help children with special needs to socialize and feel like full members of society”.
The number of general education schools accessible to children with disabilities should be at least 51% by 2025. This is stipulated by the presidential decree on improving education for children with special needs.
