Abstract

This article is based on publicly available statistical data on disability issues in the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan and personal experience of job search of one of the authors, Feruza Zagyrtdinova. It suggests that disability is not a social, but economic burden of the society. Model of disability (be it medical or social), does not solve problems faced by disabled people, but the level of economic development of a country seems to play a larger role. Every country has its own strategy to maintain control over the growth in numbers of disabled people. Disabled people of 3rd group in Uzbekistan do not receive pension (disability allowance). In the Russian Federation the number of disabled people of 2 nd group is decreasing and the number of disabled people of 3rd group is growing, whilst the overall number of disabled people is declining.