Nothing About Us, Without Us

A podcast about the rights of persons with disabilities, produced by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan of the Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Episode 1: Dilmurad Yusupov

In this first-ever episode, Mathieu Lemoine talks to Mr. Dilmurad Yusupov, a PhD candidate at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex where he is doing research on disability and inclusive development in Uzbekistan. He is also a co-founder and a member of board at the NGONGO
non-governmental organization Sharoit Plus based in Tashkent.

Episode 2: Mirjahon Turdiev

In this second episode, Mathieu Lemoine talks to Mirjahon Turdiev, a researcher at Syracuse University pursuing his PhD on social science. He has an extensive professional and research experience in disability issues in Uzbekistan and he is internationally consulting disabled people’s organizations and international development organizations.

Episode 3: Oybek Isakov

In this third episode, Mathieu Lemoine talks to Mr. Oybek Isakov, Chairperson of the Association of Disabled People of Uzbekistan, main civil society partner of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan in the field of disability rights. Mr. Isakov elaborates on the activities conducted by the Association of Disabled People in order to further promote and protection the rights of persons with disabilities, including the work undertaken with the support of the OSCE Project Co-Ordinator in Uzbekistan. He also underlines the importance of the role of the civil society in the implementation process of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as the importance of the international human rights instruments in implementing OSCE commitments.

Episode 4: Shahnoza Ikramova

In this fourth episode, Mathieu Lemoine talks to Ms. Shahnoza Ikramova, Founder and Director of the non-governmental educational centre “Umnichka” and mother of a child with Down syndrome. Ms. Ikramova elaborates on the importance of inclusive education, on the challenges faced by children with special needs in the education system, on the role of parents. She also underlines the importance of early development and of the implementation of the recently ratified UN Convention by Uzbekistan.

Episode 5: János Fiala-Butora

In this fifth episode, Mathieu Lemoine talks to Prof. János Fiala-Butora, a Lecturer at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, and a human rights lawyer with extensive experience representing persons with disabilities before international courts. Mr. Fiala-Butora elaborates on the protection of persons with disabilities at the international and regional level, on his experience in litigation before international courts, on the topic of legal capacity and guardianship, on inclusion in the electoral process, and develops examples coming from OSCE participating States on the participation of persons with disabilities in the public and political life.

Episode 6: Gulnara Makhkamova

In this sixth episode, Mathieu Lemoine talks to Gulnara Makhkamova, one of the most prominent sign language interpreters in Uzbekistan. Ms. Makhkamova elaborates on her background and how she became a signer, on the situation for persons with hearing impairments in Uzbekistan, on the legal requirements in courts, and on her own experience.

Episode 7: Markus Schefer

In this seventh episode, Mathieu Lemoine talks to Markus Schefer, a human rights professor at the University of Basel, Switzerland, who specializes in the rights of persons with disabilities. He is a member of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Mr. Schefer elaborates on his work as a Member of the United Nations Committee on The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), on the support given by the Committee to States that ratified the Convention, on his activities in the Working Group on Communications. He also comes back to his experience from the Swiss context, on why he became an expert on disability rights, and what the role of regional organizations as the OSCE can be in the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities.

Episode 8: Abdulla Abdukhalilov

In this eight episode, Mathieu Lemoine talks to Abdulla Abdukhalilov, one of the Deputy Chairpersons of the Association of Disabled People of Uzbekistan. Mr. Abdukhalilov talks about the situation of persons with visual impairment in Uzbekistan, the importance of the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the disability movement in Uzbekistan.