Uzbekistan has launched its first online platform designed to promote anti-corruption awareness among people with hearing impairments: www.s-access.uz. The platform provides access to essential legal information in sign language, supports users in recognizing corruption in everyday situations, and helps develop skills to assess the reliability of information, the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan reported.
The initiative was implemented by the Bukhara Regional Branch of the Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan as part of the Low-Value Grants programme under the joint project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) “Strengthening the National Anti-Corruption Ecosystem in Uzbekistan”, funded by the European Union.
The website was created to help people with hearing impairments better understand legal issues related to corruption and apply this knowledge in their everyday lives. The platform features:
- 48 key anti-corruption terms translated into sign language
- Video lessons on citizens’ rights and legal protection mechanisms
- Materials on verifying the reliability of information and countering misinformation
- Interactive videos based on real-life situations.
Ruziya Rasulova, Director of the Bukhara Regional Branch of the Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan, noted: “We work with people with hearing and speech impairments. Many came to us with tears in their eyes because they had been deceived in different areas, for example, they were asked for money but promises were not kept. They didn’t know their rights, and that’s exactly why we decided to create this website: so they can see examples of corruption and learn how to protect themselves. Since the platform was launched, we’ve seen fewer people coming to us with such problems.” The platform has become an important step toward building more inclusive anti-corruption education and promoting legal awareness among people with hearing impairments, both in the Bukhara region and beyond.
