Resumen de Accessibility in Central Asia: Collaboration between graduate school and library

Margaret Spires, A. S. CohenMiller

• Having recently adopted the United Nations Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Kazakhstan, a former Soviet Republic located in Central Asia, is currently in a position to find ways to increase accessibility and encourage inclusiveness in education. This paper describes the combined efforts of Nazarbayev University’s Library and Graduate School (located in Astana, Kazakhstan) to ensure accessibility for the university’s first ever student with a documented disability. Using co-generative qualitative data and analysis, faculty and staff worked together with the student to determine the best way to help him. As a project based in more experiential research, the authors’ focus is to document the experience and provide recommendations to others who are beginning accessibility/inclusivity efforts as well. Chief among these recommendations is close collaboration with communities to ensure what is needed and provide education regarding accessibility, as well as setting up a reasonable timeframe for adaptations needed.