ABSTRACT
The main aim of this chapter is to tease out the historical and deeply rooted ethical standards, spirituality and social values that have long supported the social service system in Kyrgyzstan, which, today, faces pressure to align with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The data is based on an intervention conducted as part of the EU-Social Protection Systems Programme (EU-SPS) in Kyrgyzstan. We first elaborate on the Kyrgyz context of the societal ethics, spirituality and values around disability in the Kyrgyz university education for social workers. Second, we analyse the transformation of the perception of disability among the university lecturers. We conclude this chapter with a discussion on the negotiation between a charity-based approach that reinforces the stigmatization of disability and a human rights-based approach that promotes paradigm change, to contribute to global discourse of social change towards disability inclusion.
