On October 8-9, 2020 for the first time in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Disability Awareness Day (hereinafter - NAD) was organized and held on relevant issues of inclusion in accordance with the implementation of the international EU ERASMUS + project 598661 "DECIDE" (Developing services for individuals with disabilities) on the basis of S. Seifullin Kazakh Agro Technical University in Nur-Sultan (hereinafter - KATU) together with working groups of partner universities: Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi (Almaty, Kazakhstan), A. Baitursynov Kostanay Regional University (Kostanay, Kazakhstan), Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan).
The inter-partnership cooperation was conducted via Skype, Facebook, and emails. The updates and releases announcement of the event were posted on Internet pages of partner Universities:
https://kazatu.edu.kz/en/news/ONLINE-CONFERENCE-ANNOUNCEMENT-9258.html
http://ksu.edu.kz/newslist/segodnya-nacional-nyj-den-osvedomlennosti/
The NAD was supported actively in social networks and Internet portals. The event was created on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/114288270125256/posts/203050244582391/?extid=0&d=n
https://www.facebook.com/1618930408188867/posts/3420859217995968/?vh=e&extid=0&d=n
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CGEabJFpLS6/?igshid=p1xgkzmvlcys
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFXaTUEpxUA/?igshid=1k5umtk50qoxw
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzo1MepvFY/?igshid=1qegowldwrz9p
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFXaTUEpxUA/?igshid=k3jrufdh6j45
In connection with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the NAD was held online and presented a very rich program on inclusive education on the first day of the NAD - October 8, 2020:
- on the basis of S. Seifullin KATU
1. Virtual information exhibition: "We are different, We are equal, We are together."
Moderator - member of the working group: Orazymbetova Zhuldyz - Head of the Department of Scientific and Information Resources of the Scientific Library of KATU.
The virtual exhibition has been published on the website of the scientific library, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and the library's social media page.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CGEabJFpLS6/?igshid=p1xgkzmvlcys
2. Poster competition: "We are different, but we are equal."
Moderator - member of the working group: Akhmetova Maral - Director of the Scientific Library of KATU
Posters were published on the Library page on the social network Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CFXaTUEpxUA/?igshid=k3jrufdh6j45
3. Online training "Peculiarities of the teacher's psychological and pedagogical activity in the context of inclusive education".
Moderator - member of the working group: Sarbassova Karlygash - Dean of the Faculty of Computer Systems and Professional Education in KATU.
The leading speaker of the online training was Kochkorbayeva Elmira, a doctoral student of the 3rd year, specializing in "Vocational Training". The guest speaker was Arman Asanbayev, an employee of the Nazarbayev University Higher School of Public Policy, Doctor PhD, and coordinator of international projects on inclusive education.
During the online training participants performed a variety of exercises, techniques to increase self-esteem, about the importance of life, about our purpose in this life, and what contribution he makes to our diverse society, where there are many different people with different abilities, both physical and intellectual.
The online meeting discussed issues such as the values of inclusion, modern inclusive education and ways to implement it, and what opportunities inclusive education provides for people's development. It should be noted that many participants actively expressed their positions when discussing these issues, and put forward a number of proposals for the further development of inclusive education in Kazakhstan, taking into account the experience of the world community.
It should be noted the performance PhD program student Zeynulina Zhanna. Zhanna shared her experience, how she went through a difficult path of self-development with a serious diagnosis, how she managed to overcome the disease and achieve life goals in order to finish her doctorate, teach students, and generally be an interesting girl.
Summarizing the above mentioned, there is the resolution:
- involve public organizations to conduct seminars, webinars and trainings for the pedagogical community for social and psychological support of students with disabilities and students with special needs in the educational process;
- promote the ideas of inclusive education and the adoption of the principles and priorities of inclusion in society;
- conduct a public campaign supporting inclusive education in parent communities and the media.
https://www.facebook.com/114288270125256/posts/203050244582391/?extid=0&d=n
4. Essay Competition "Disability, Inclusion and Diversity".
Moderator - member of the working group: Safura Omarova - Assistant of the Department of Foreign Languages at KATU.
In the period from 21.09.2020 to 5.10.2020, in the frame of the National Disability Awareness day of the international project DECIDE: "Development of services for people with disabilities", the project partners, the center of international cooperation and multilingual education development, in cooperation with the Foreign languages Department of the S. Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University, announced an essay contest on the theme: "Disability, Inclusion and Diversity".
The target groups of the activities were undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students, university academic staff and librarians, as well as all interested people.
Venue: The page of the library and KATU on social networks: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Zoom conference, which brought together more than 150 people.
Goals and objectives of the essay contest:
- development and education of young people with respect for people with disabilities;
- drawing attention to the in-depth study of the project's issues;
- stimulating the solution of inclusive education issues;
- identification and support of youth talents in the framework of inclusive education.
The participants of the competition
The essay contest "Disability, Inclusion and Diversity" was held among students and Master’s degree students of all specialties of the S. Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University, where 36 works were submitted, 33 works received a positive rating from the jury, and 3 were rejected due to non-compliance with the competition requirements.
The theme of the competition found a great response among the participants, the problems of inclusive education, problems of adaptation of people with disabilities, as well as integration and education of a tolerant attitude among the population, namely among the younger generation, were touched upon.
As a resolution, it is necessary to note the importance of holding such competitions, since with the help of such competitions it is possible to solve a number of important tasks of educating the young generation:
- development, education of young people with respect for people with disabilities;
-drawing attention to the study of the project's issues
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzo1MepvFY/?igshid=1qegowldwrz9p
- on the basis of A. Baitursynov KRU:
- Online discussion platform: "Ethics of communication with people with disabilities."
Moderators - members of the working group: Sarkisyan Lilia, professor of the A. Baitursynov KRU and Parkhomenko Irina - associate professor of the A. Baitursynov KRU.
The target audience of the event was volunteers: members of the volunteer-charity club "Ayaly Zhastar"; students and stakeholders who are volunteering in the field of inclusion.
Venue: Zoom conference (86 people).
The purpose and resolution of the above activities:
• dissemination of NAD information in the mass media to draw the attention of students, applicants, teaching staff of universities to the problems of an international project related to the urgent issues of social adaptation of people with disabilities and their integration into society;
• popularization of the topic of inclusive education and the disclosure of all possibilities for its integration into the age of high technologies, when the development of imaginative thinking of the younger generation contributes to the dissemination and development of solutions to the problems of an international pro-ject;
• popularization and promotion of the principles of organizing the educational process in the context of inclusive education in higher educational institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, related to the value and importance of inclusion, modern ways of its implementation, what opportunities inclusive education provides for the development of people;
• attracting public organizations to conduct seminars, webinars and trainings for the teaching community on social and psychological support of students with disabilities and students with special needs in the educational process;
• promoting the ideas of inclusive education, acceptance of the principles and priorities of inclusion in society.
Upon completion of all events, all winners of competitions and exhibitions were awarded with diplomas of 1, 2, 3 degrees and valuable gifts. Speakers and participants of the training seminar and conferences received certificates.
On the second day of NAD - October 9, 2020 the first international scientific-practical conference "Development of inclusion in Kazakhstan: theory and practice" was held on the basis of S. Seifullin KATU. The conference was organized jointly by working groups of partner universities from S. Seifullin KATU (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan), KazNU named after Al-Farabi (Almaty, Kazakhstan), A. Baitursynov KRU (Kostanay, Kazakhstan) and APA under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan).
The conference moderator is a member of the working group: Meiramova Saltanat - director of the Development of International Cooperation and Multilingual Education Center, coordinator of the KATU project (P9) and country coordinator of the DECIDE project.
The moderator of the plenary session of the conference is a member of the working group: Lilia Sarkisyan, professor of the A. Baitursynov KRU (Р11).
The moderator of the panel session of the conference is a member of the working group: Bekmurzayeva Zhanyl (P12).
The moderator of the round table of the conference is a member of the working group: Usatayeva Gainel (P10).
The purpose of the conference was to raise awareness of diversity by creating socially favorable conditions for people with disabilities, creating a communication and discussion platform.
The conference was attended by 116 participants, 30 speakers, including representatives of the Ministry of labor and social protection of the population of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, EASEA - Erasmus + Agency (Brussels), Director of the National Office of the Erasmus + Program in Kazakhstan, leader of the DECIDE project (Romania), rectors of universities - executors of the DECIDE project, civil servants, representatives of business structures, PhD, master and bachelor students of universities of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 10 representatives of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and communities of people with disabilities from 3 foreign countries, as well as 10 foreign partners of the DECIDE project from 7 countries of the world.
The conference participants highlighted the social significance of the activities carried out within the framework of the DECIDE project to create an inclusive society and the development of inclusive education at all its levels, the high interest of the project implementers to develop inclusive education in universities and the formation of an inclusive culture among government officials and NGO representatives, as well as a non-discriminatory attitude towards people with disabilities in society.
The conference participants supported the initiative to hold an annual National Day of Awareness on relevant Issues of Inclusion on October 9 and an initiative to include in educational work plans of educational organizations at least 2 times a year thematic class and curatorial hours on the theme "We are different - We are equal - We are together" and various activities aimed at the formation of an inclusive culture with a wide coverage in the media and social networks
Having heard and discussed the reports and speeches of speakers and participants presented at the plenary session, panel session and round table of the international scientific and practical online conference "Development of inclusion in Kazakhstan: theory and practice" and after analyzing expert opinions of people with disabilities the Resolution of the international conference was adopted which included the following proposals:
1. reflect the development of inclusive education in the policies of subordinate institutions as a priority
2. include inclusive competence in the qualification requirements of teachers
3. support the intersectional and interinstitutional cooperation between education, health and social protection authorities, nongovernmental organizations and business structures
4. develop criteria for assessing the effectiveness of the leaders of educational organizations in the development of inclusive education and the creation of a universal design
5. provide for the holding in 2021 of the republican scientific and practical conference on the problem of software and methodological support of inclusive education of all forms of education (full-time, distance, mixed)
6. implement, if possible, the discipline "Pedagogy and Psychology of Inclusive Education“ in the curricula of all pedagogical specialties
7. organize advanced training for teachers, administrative staff and other employees on the problem of inclusive education
8. propose to develop an effective system of vocational guidance, vocational training and retraining of people with disabilities with the aim of their employment
9. propose to develop an effective system of vocational guidance, vocational training and retraining of people with disabilities with the aim of their employment
10. to intensify the participation of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in holding the National Awareness Day
11. propose to consider the issue of accompanying sign language translation of broadcasted programs in a large-scale format
12. to propose ensuring the continuity of inclusive education at all levels, from nursery-kindergarten to universities
13. expand the dialogue platform where all the trends in inclusive education will be discussed, which will serve to raise awareness
14. use special technology in the educational process, in the development of educational content for people with disabilities
15. consider the issue of training conductive teachers, occupational thera-pists, rehabilitation therapists and exercise therapy instructors
16. consider the issue about including people with disabilities as experts in events at all levels on the topic of inclusion
The promotion was conducted via social media campaign: Facebook, Twitter (Interpartnership coverage via Facebook, Twitter). The partners developed flyers, stickers, posters, brochures, T-shirts, pens, etc. with the project logo.