The «Inclusive Environment» Scientific and Practical Center and the «Kazakh Society of the Blind» public association organized an informational seminar.

"RIGHT TO READ" is the theme and motto of the information seminar held at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Center for Visually Impaired Persons "Zhyly Uya" (NGO "Kazakh Society of the Blind - KOS").

In a constructive and friendly atmosphere, the seminar participants were introduced to the main provisions of the Marrakesh Treaty "To Facilitate Access to Published Works for Blind Persons, Visually Impaired Persons, or Persons with Other Disabilities rased difficulty to read", which was signed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K. Tokayev on 28.01.2025.

Greetings and wishes for fruitful seminar    expressed  NAURYZBAYEV A.S. - Chairman of the Central Committee of the Public Organization KOS, SUATAI S.K. - Member of the Board - Vice-Rector for Social Development of KazNU and SEITZHAN K.S. - the Parliament of the RK Mazhilis' Deputy , Commissioner for Low Social Risk of Vulnerable Population Categories under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Chairman of the Council for Inclusions under the Senate of the Parliament of the RK, freelance adviser to the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kaltayeva L.M. highlighted measures to ensure a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities in building an inclusive society in Kazakhstan.

Also Omarova K. - a freelance adviser to the Akim of Almaty, participated the seminar. She  oversees issues of inclusion, rights' protection  and improvement of life  quality for  persons with disabilities.

Tengniev H.A. - Chairman of the Association for Disabled People "Mehrbakhsh" from Tajikistan, Sarybaeva N.N. and Abduvaliev Zh.K. - co-founder of the Federation for the Blind and Blind Sports from Kyrgyzstan told and showed photo- and video materials about lobbying for the Marrakesh Treaty on access to information for adults and children with disabilities in Tajikistan, about inclusive libraries for  implementing the Marrakesh Agreement in Kyrgyzstan and about sports achievements and overcoming the fear of blind athletes in extreme sports.

Dzhakupov M. - Specialist in Special Programs of the NGO KOS, presented to the seminar participants the historical background for  the Braille signs, the development of technologies and modern digital opportunities for access to information for people with visual impairments.

Abdykaimov Z. - Assistive Technologies and Accessibility Manager of the Nazarbayev University Library and Altynbekuly A. - Project Manager of the Charitable Foundation "Zhana Dunie". They spoke about information accessibility in Kazakhstan for people with disabilities in 2025 and innovations for the benefit of the blind and visually impaired.

Director of the scientific and practical center "Inclusive Environment" of KazNU Tazhina G.O. shared information about the current state and prospects for an inclusive environment at the university, noting the contribution of the management and staff to implementing the "Roadmap by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the RK for  inclusivity in universities" of the country.

The seminar was held in a mixed offline and online (Zoom) format and gathered about 100 offline participants in the hall of the KazNU library: Representatives of government agencies, NGOs from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, heads and teachers of Almaty and Esik special boarding schools with  their high school students, KazNU deputy deans and senior curators followed their students with SEN,  visually impaired. All regional branches of the KOS NGO, some representatives of government agencies and other NGOs participated the seminar online.

Summing up the seminar outcomes, the director of the Rehabilitation Center "Zhyly Uya" Balgozhina G. noted that within the framework of the goals of the Marrakesh Agreement and project funded by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the RC "Zhyly Uya" is launching the production and transferring to KazNU 50 textbooks in the format of "audiobook" and "large print" and 5 textbooks in Braille for students with special educational needs, visually impaired. The lists of these textbooks were agreed upon with the library of the Al-Farabi KazNU alognside the participation of the "Inclusive Environment" center.