ABSTRACT
During the Soviet era and after their sudden independence in 1991, Central Asian countries were a hidden part of the world, especially in terms of disability and international development. When I started my PhD study (Katsui 2005) on disability organizations in Central Asia in 2000, I had great difficulty in finding relevant information. Times have recently changed. The series of “counter-terror” interventions in Afghanistan, the presence of natural resources, particularly in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and various ethnic and political conflicts have raised the international profile and significance of the Central Asian region. Severe material and social deprivation, especially in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, has further stimulated the interest of the international development community in the region. Yet, the lives of disabled people and activities of their organizations are still largely neglected.
