Bridging the Digital Divide: Uzbekistan's Journey Towards Inclusive Economic Growth

Uzbekistan is enhancing its digital economy by integrating persons with disabilities through significant investments in digital skills training, supportive policies, and inclusive workplace initiatives. This effort, supported by international organizations, aims to bridge the digital divide and promote economic growth and social inclusion.

Uzbekistan is intensifying its efforts to integrate persons with disabilities into its burgeoning digital economy, a move crucial for driving economic growth and inclusivity. This initiative is supported by the World Bank and other international organizations, including the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The New Development Strategy and 2030 Digital Strategy underscore the importance of digital sector investments to overcome barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in the labor market. Despite significant obstacles, including low employment rates and limited access to digital technologies, recent initiatives show promise. The World Bank approved a 50 million dollars Digital Inclusion Project in 2023, focusing on expanding digital skills and employment opportunities for women and persons with disabilities. Building these skills is essential for enabling these individuals to engage with digital services and access job opportunities.

A comprehensive study was conducted to identify gaps in digital inclusion for persons with disabilities and to inform policy interventions. The study highlighted key areas such as the legislative and regulatory landscape, growth and opportunities within the digital economy, challenges faced by persons with disabilities, and a roadmap for future actions. The legislative framework in Uzbekistan has seen positive changes, including the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). However, gaps remain, particularly in the implementation of laws that ensure comprehensive coverage and support for persons with disabilities. The study emphasized that while digital economy participation presents significant opportunities, there are notable barriers, including a lack of digital skills, prevailing stigma, low representation in the ICT sector, and the unaffordability of assistive technologies. Access to affordable internet services, especially in rural areas, also poses a critical issue.

Digital Inclusion for All: Bridging the Gap

The study suggests several recommendations to accelerate the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the digital economy. Enhancing the regulatory framework to ensure accessibility is a primary focus. Investing in digital skills training and supporting employers in creating inclusive workplaces are also crucial steps. Specifically, the report recommends the development of a Job Accommodation and Accessibility Center to assist employers and the introduction of alternative tariffs and pricing plans by internet service providers to make digital services more affordable for persons with disabilities. Partnerships with local and international tech companies are essential to ensure the availability of localized assistive technologies. Funding strategies, such as leveraging a universal service fund, can support these initiatives. These measures taken by the Government of Uzbekistan (GoU) have positively impacted the employment rate in the digital economy. Similarly, the GoU-developed plan for expanding the pool and capacity of ICT human resources has resulted in more opportunities for Uzbek citizens, particularly youth and women, in the ICT job market.

IT Park: A Hub for Innovation and Accessibility

In Uzbekistan, IT Park, a technology park operating under the Ministry for the Development of Information Technologies and Communications, serves as a hub for information technology, encompassing facilities and structures to support the initiation and market entry of innovative startup projects. Established in Tashkent in 2019, it hosts 205 IT centers, 34 university incubation centers, and 680 resident IT companies. Adopting standards of accessibility for the built environment through its IT training centers spread across the country, IT Park has opened its training programs particularly for persons with physical disabilities. To date, 70 young women with disabilities sponsored by UNICEF have benefited from IT Park’s training program. However, the agency’s leadership is aware that its training programs need additional accommodations to be fully inclusive for persons with disabilities. IT Park has shown a clear interest in exploring ways of enhancing its IT trainers’ educational capacity and in ensuring that they are professionally certified in different aspects of digital accessibility.

Empowering through Education and Training

Efforts to achieve disability inclusion have also been enhanced through a special funding program launched by the Parliament of Uzbekistan to provide support for civil society organizations. Disability organizations, such as Inklyuziv Jamiyat, have benefited from a grant under this program to offer vocational training, including IT training, and job matching services for a number of women and men with disabilities. In all, 15 persons with disabilities currently enrolled in the Department of Technology at the national university in Tashkent have received IT training through Inklyuziv Jamiyat’s Parliament-funded program. Sharoit Plus is another organization benefiting from the Parliament’s civil society fund. Using money from this fund, it has launched an online job matching portal for persons with disabilities. Persons with various types of disabilities have used this portal, alongside other social media platforms, to organize webinars and online podcasts to raise public awareness on a range of disability rights issues, including the right to inclusive ICTs. Sharoit Plus also offers IT educational and professional development training for persons with disabilities.

The Road Ahead: Inclusive Policies and Investments

Overall, while Uzbekistan’s digital transformation offers significant opportunities, deliberate investments and inclusive policies are necessary to ensure that persons with disabilities can fully benefit from and contribute to the digital economy. The government’s ongoing efforts, supported by international organizations and local stakeholders, are crucial in bridging the digital divide and fostering an inclusive society.

A Brighter Future for Uzbekistan’s Digital Economy

The integration of persons with disabilities into Uzbekistan's digital economy not only promotes social inclusion but also taps into a valuable and often overlooked segment of the workforce. By investing in digital skills, creating supportive policies, and fostering an inclusive environment, Uzbekistan is paving the way for a more equitable and prosperous future.