On May 12, the Public Fund Fair and Sustainable Development Solutions (FSDS) organized a press tour for journalists and media professionals to the "Independent Living Center" and the office of the NGO "Hand in Hand."

The press tour took place as part of the project "Inclusive Society for Children with Disabilities," during which journalists familiarized themselves with the activities of the two centers.

At the "Independent Living Center," the NGO "Equality," created with the support of FSDS to provide social adaptation for children with disabilities, journalists were shown how life is structured inside the center, the rehabilitation programs available, and heard personal stories from the children themselves.

Later, a tour was organized for journalists at the rehabilitation center of the public association of parents of children with autism, "Hand in Hand." Specialists from the center demonstrated how sessions for children with autism are conducted and presented videos showing the stages of rehabilitation.

According to the center's director, Zhyldyz Sadykova, such events are very important for raising public awareness about the issues faced by children with autism.

"In Kyrgyzstan, the number of children with disabilities is growing every year. Worldwide, including in post-Soviet countries, there are early intervention programs. We need to create conditions and implement early detection programs for these children at the state level," said Sadykova.