The NGO “The League of the Strong,” together with its partner organizations, has prepared a report on the situation regarding the rights of people with disabilities in Ukraine during the full-scale invasion by Russia. It highlights current challenges and needs in the field of protecting the rights of people with disabilities, analyzes reforms, and provides recommendations for their improvement. This was reported by Daria Sydorenko, Executive Director of the League of the Strong NGO.
“Ukraine needs independent monitoring of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Currently, there is no such mechanism, and therefore there is no comprehensive understanding at the state level of the situation regarding these rights. Data reflecting the number of people with disabilities and their needs are fragmented and incomplete. A separate problem is the situation in the temporarily occupied territories and combat zones. In this report, we tried to outline the existing challenges and problems to create the basis for developing a mechanism to improve the situation,” said Daria Sydorenko, Executive Director of the League of the Strong.
The report was developed by the NGOs League of the Strong, the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine, Fight For Right, and the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union. The report is based on the standards of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The report covers the following key areas: general principles and obligations, rights of women and children with disabilities; accessibility; equality and non-discrimination; situations of risk and humanitarian crisis; equality before the law; access to justice; independent living and inclusion in the local community; freedom of expression and belief; access to information; respect for the home and family; education; health; habilitation and rehabilitation; labor and employment; adequate standard of living and social protection; participation in political and public life; and participation in cultural life, leisure, recreation, and sports.
The study of the situation regarding the rights of people with disabilities in Ukraine was conducted with the assistance of the European Disability Forum, CBM International, and the Disabled People Organization Denmark. Its results will be published soon on the website.