As part of the Work Without Barriers programme, the state has reimbursed employers UAH 77 million for the creation of jobs for 1,200 specialists with disabilities since the beginning of 2024. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna.
According to her, the Ministry of Economy is actively working to ensure that people with disabilities, including those who have been disabled by the war, have more opportunities to be employed in the labour market. One of the important steps is to help employers create conditions that remove barriers for employees with disabilities. The state reimburses the costs of purchasing specialised furniture, equipment and auxiliary devices required for the work of such employees.
Since the beginning of 2024, more than 1,000 entrepreneurs have benefited from this support by receiving compensation for the arrangement of workplaces for specialists with disabilities. The total cost of compensation was UAH 77 million. Compensation was provided to entrepreneurs in all regions of Ukraine, with the largest number of employers from Kyiv, Cherkasy, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odesa and Volyn regions.
Workplaces have been created for various specialists, such as accountants, teachers, occupational health and safety engineers, clerks, administrators, trade managers, drivers and mechanics. Employers have purchased specialised furniture for employees with back problems, functional office chairs with adjustable settings, computers with built-in protective screens for the visually impaired, desk lamps, communication equipment and workwear.
The Work Without Barriers programme, introduced by the government in August 2023, provides for compensation of up to UAH 106,500 for the arrangement of workplaces for people with Group I disabilities and up to UAH 71,000 for people with Group II disabilities. To receive compensation, an employer must submit an application within 90 days after hiring an employee with a disability. This can be done online through the Diia portal or offline at a regional employment centre. The application is processed within 10 business days, after which, if approved, the funds are transferred to the employer’s account within 5 days.
