As a result of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, the number of people with disabilities has increased rapidly. Before the war, there were 2.7 million people with disabilities in Ukraine. In two years, this number increased by 300,000, i.e. by 10%. Currently, 3 million people in the country have disabilities, which is, among other things, the result of hostilities and the aggressor’s constant shelling of the civilian population. Now these people are trying to adapt to the new circumstances of their lives and integrate into society.
Persons with disabilities as a result of war face a dual challenge: in addition to physical injuries, they have to contend with an unadapted environment that does not take into account their special needs. Lack of ramps, unadapted buildings and public transport become daily obstacles in their way. Every step out of the house turns into a test, every day is filled with a struggle for basic rights and dignity. These people, who have already experienced the horrors of war, are now forced to overcome new barriers in peaceful life, looking for support and understanding in society.
Deputy Minister of Social Policy Nazar Tanasyshyn, in his speech at the conference of states participating in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, stated:
“The Soviet regime used to say: we don’t have people with disabilities. In contrast, veterans and wounded civilians are now visible in Ukraine. No one will remain unnoticed. We fight against stigmas. We will remove every barrier — physical and mental.”
How “visible” are people with disabilities in our society
An inclusive society is a society where each member has equal opportunities with all others, as if included in the general flow. After all, it is not for nothing that the very word “inclusion” means “inclusion” in translation.
In order for a society to be considered inclusive, the state must take a number of measures:
- to develop and ensure the effective functioning of laws aimed at protecting the rights of minorities and people with disabilities, as well as promoting their integration into society;
- create inclusive educational institutions where children with different needs can study together;
- create accessible infrastructure that includes ramps, elevators, adapted transportation and accessible public spaces;
- promote the employment of people with different abilities by creating jobs in the labor market and providing the necessary support to employers;
- promote the development of public awareness of the importance of inclusion through media, educational programs and campaigns;
- ensure equal access to social services, such as health care, family support and social assistance, for all members of society;
- to stimulate the active participation of all citizens in public life, including participation in voting, decision-making, cultural events and other aspects of public life.
Now let’s go through each point and check how inclusive our society is. Let’s start with education. According to statistical data taken from the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, in the 2023-2024 academic year, there were 29,321 inclusive classes in the country’s schools, where 40,354 children with disabilities studied, which is 4,326 classes and 6,493 more children than in 2022. – 2023 academic year. The number of inclusive groups of preschool education institutions is 6,158, including 11,285 pupils with special educational needs. There are 690 inclusive resource centers (IRC) in Ukraine. 46 such centers are located in the temporarily occupied territories:
- in Zaporizhzhia region – 22;
- in Luhansk region – 9;
- in the Kherson region – 8;
- in Donetsk region – 7.
Educational institutions have become accessible to children with special needs due to placement in them:
- ramps and handrails – 8,366 establishments;
- elevators (lifts) – 215 facilities;
- specially equipped toilet rooms for persons with disabilities – 1,592 institutions, in which 2,223 such rooms are equipped;
- resource rooms – 3041 institutions.
But it is worth noting that such security is characteristic of educational institutions located in large cities, which cannot be said about ordinary rural schools, where inclusiveness is only implemented on paper, and ramps can only be dreamed of.
“A boy with cerebral palsy studied in my class. I regretfully watched how every morning my mother carried him up the steps first to the porch, and then to the second floor, where our class was located. And so every day”, – recalls Vira Volodymyrivna, a teacher from Vovchan Oblast.
The third item on our list is about available infrastructure. But let’s look around. No matter in which city of our country you live, no matter where you go, everywhere there will be at least three steps, sidewalks, excessively narrow streets and corridors.
“I will not forget the trials I had to go through to open a bank card to receive a pension, and then visit the Pension Fund. Of course, they called me a taxi, but it is not easy to get into it either, and then there are endless steps and long queues all around”, – says Valentina Viktorivna, a migrant from Vovchan Oblast.
Not only is she an elderly woman, she is also visually impaired. It is likely that Valentina would not have been able to get anywhere on her own, and even with the help of her relatives, it turned out to be a difficult task.
Sometimes it happens that a building contains a necessary device, but does it make the life of a person with a disability easier, and the building where such a person came more accessible? Regional employment centers have lifts, but in order to use them, you have to press a button and wait for someone to come down and let you through. While waiting, a person must stand in the rain, snow or sun to be granted legal access to administrative services. Moreover, the help button is generally located behind the stairs and a person in a wheelchair simply cannot reach it.
In addition, bureaucracy becomes an obstacle to receiving social services for people with disabilities. The complicated and long procedure of collecting documents and standing in long queues complicates the already difficult life of people with disabilities.
It also makes life difficult for people to systematically confirm their disability, because state authorities believe that missing limbs can grow back.
Therefore, modern conditions not only do not promote the freedom of movement of people with disabilities, but also make them completely dependent on others, and are perceived as bullying.
Employment of people with disabilities
The situation with the issue of employment in our country is also difficult. According to research, the presence of people with disabilities became an obstacle when trying to find a job for 28% of respondents. Employers are reluctant to hire people with disabilities, among the reasons for this phenomenon are the following:
- Stereotypes and prejudices. Employers believe that people with disabilities are not able to perform tasks at the same level as other employees.
- Accessibility issues. Reluctance of employers to create proper working conditions and necessary infrastructure – ramps, elevators and adapted workplaces. This requires significant financial investments from them.
- Uncertainty about qualifications. Some employers doubt the professional skills and qualifications of people with disabilities, believing that they will not be able to perform the job properly.
What steps does the state take to solve this problem
Starting from August 2023, Ukraine has a program introduced by the Ministry of Economy and the State Employment Service, which provides employers who have hired people with disabilities and set up workplaces for them, monetary compensation, which should cover the costs of setting up such places. Such monetary assistance is:
- UAH 106.5 thousand – for arranging workplaces for persons with disabilities of the I group;
- 71 thousand UAH. – for persons with disabilities of the II group.
At the same time, the employer, having hired a specialist with a disability, must create the necessary working conditions within 90 days and only then submit an application for reimbursement of the cost of expenses to the employment center or through the Diya portal. 10 days after consideration of such an application, if a positive decision is made, monetary compensation will be provided.
However, despite certain conditions created by the state for employers, only 16% of people with disabilities were able to find employment in the country.
Currently, the majority of specialists with disabilities remain on the sidelines of the labor market, although they could strengthen it, because the state currently lacks personnel – some of them have gone to serve, some have been forced to move abroad, and some are afraid to leave their homes, lest they end up in the TCC.
It is important to draw society’s attention to the attitude towards people with special needs. Due to incompetence and ignorance of how to behave in the presence of people with disabilities, the majority simply do not notice them. But is this attitude correct? Is a person with a prosthesis or in a wheelchair invisible? Obviously not. And inclusiveness itself cannot be ensured only by ramps and elevators. You need to change your worldview. And this does not mean that you should run and grab a wheelchair without asking if the person needs such help. It is necessary to learn to perceive the diversity of the world, to understand that people with disabilities are the same people as everyone else. It is simply necessary to create full-fledged living conditions so that no person experiences any limitations and barriers just because he has this disability. This approach has been in effect for a long time in the EU and the USA. If Ukraine aspires to become part of the modern world, then the same approach should become the norm in our society.
Consequently, disabled people face numerous challenges in their daily lives due to unsuitable environments and insufficient societal support. Regardless of the causes of disability – war, illness or accident – these people continue to fight for their rights to an equal and dignified life. Their stories should become a mirror for society, which should review its attitude and ensure real integration and accessibility for all. Only then will we be able to build a truly inclusive society, where everyone will have equal opportunities and support on the way to a better life.
