In Kazakhstan, an estimated 70 percent of public infrastructure is inaccessible to people with disabilities. Karlygash Kulzhanova’s hometown of Talgar is no exception. Recognizing the danger posed by lack of accessible public spaces, Karlygash teamed up with fellow disability rights advocates to push for change. To start, Karlygash and her colleagues mobilized a needs assessment by the Kazakh Society of the Blind. Based on these results, they decided to target areas that lacked walkways for visually impaired residents. Accessible walkways, they believed, would result in safer movement and wayfinding across streets for people with disabilities throughout the city.

In partnership with Samga-N, a local disability rights organization, Karlygash applied for an Innovative Solutions grant from USAID’s Social Innovation in Central Asia program. In February 2021, Karlygash participated in a focus group uniting local stakeholders, including the vice-akim for the Talgar region, a representative from the Talgar municipal government, representatives of the road commission and department of civic works, the director of Samga-N, and fellow concerned citizens. Together, they decided on a location for a new accessible walkway, to be constructed along a main throughway in Talgar.

Across Kazakhstan, education and recreation resources for youth with disabilities remain limited, especially in rural areas. Despite state efforts to introduce inclusive education in schools nationwide, most youth with disabilities in Kazakhstan still do not have access to high-quality, inclusive education or leisure activities. Many families choose to homeschool their children due to lack of appropriate training for teachers, low accessibility in schools and a fear of social stigma. Consequently, youth with disabilities are often confined to their homes and fully dependent on their caregivers.

Since 2013, Atyrau’s Zhurekten Zhurekke (“From Heart to Heart”), a charitable foundation, has supported vulnerable groups across Kazakhstan, including youth with disabilities and their families. The organization has opened branches in nine cities across Kazakhstan and supported more than 1,000 families of youth with disabilities through trainings, workshops, fundraising and awareness campaigns. In January 2021, with support from USAID’s Social Innovation in Central Asia program, Zhurekten Zhurekke launched a series of workshops in Atyrau for youth with disabilities and their caregivers. Participants learned creative skills, including sewing, illustration and clay and plaster sculpting. Workshops provided an outlet for self-expression and boosted youth's problem-solving, communication, coordination and motor skills. As a result of the workshops, one participant secured a job as a tailor in a local textile shop, and three others started their own creative businesses.