Early Stages of the Formation of Inclusive Education and Non-Governmental Educational Institutions for Persons with Disabilities in Uzbekistan

This article examines the early stages of the formation of inclusive education and non-governmental educational initiatives for persons with disabilities in Uzbekistan from a historical and institutional perspective. It analyzes the Soviet legacy of special education, the post-independence transition, and the shift in educational thinking from segregation to inclusion. It also considers the relationship between state and non-state actors, the role of civil society organizations, and the indirect influence of international comparative models. The findings suggest that Uzbekistan’s move toward inclusion was neither linear nor purely policy-driven, but shaped by the interaction of inherited institutional structures, limited resources, and emerging rights-based discourse. In the earliest phase, non-governmental and community-based actors played mostly supportive and compensatory roles rather than replacing state provision, yet their presence helped widen the practical horizon of reform. The article argues that the formative period of inclusive education in Uzbekistan should be understood as a hybrid transition in which state-led change and non-state initiatives developed unevenly but became increasingly interconnected.