“The League of the Strong” will conduct Ukraine’s first national sociological survey on young people with disabilities: “Young People with Disabilities in Ukraine: Inclusion, Barriers, Stigmatisation and Agency”. The findings are intended to provide an evidence base for shaping national and local youth policy, developing social campaigns, educational programmes, teaching materials, advocacy initiatives and new projects aimed at empowering young people with disabilities.
The study is being carried out by “The League of the Strong” public organisation in collaboration with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), with financial support from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
This was reported by Daria Kukurika, Executive Director of “The League of the Strong”.
“The research should help us move away from general assumptions about “tolerance” or “the existence of barriers” towards measurable data: exactly which stereotypes exist, where the greatest gaps in interaction lie, which areas of life are most inaccessible to young people with disabilities, and which tools can change the situation,” — commented Daria Kukurika, Executive Director of “The League of the Strong”.
The study aims to answer several key questions:
- to what extent are young people with disabilities in Ukraine included in social, educational, professional and civic life;
- what social, educational, professional, communication and other barriers limit their participation;
- how young people with disabilities themselves assess their own capabilities, agency and prospects for professional development and participation in social processes;
- and what the attitudes of young people without disabilities are towards their peers with disabilities, in particular the level of stigmatisation, social distance, stereotypes and willingness to engage in genuine interaction.
To provide a comprehensive assessment of the situation, it is planned to develop a series of analytical indices. These include the stigmatisation index, the social distance index, the readiness for inclusive interaction index, the inclusion index, the barriers index, the discriminatory experience index, the agency index, the internal stigma index and the support index. This will enable us not only to describe the problem but also to identify which specific areas require priority changes.
It is expected that over 1,000 young people, with and without disabilities, aged between 18 and 35, will take part in the study. The results of the study will be presented at the end of 2026.
Market research agencies wishing to take part in the selection process must submit their proposals in accordance with the requirements of the technical specifications. A scanned copy of the proposal, together with all necessary documents, should be sent to: info@ls.org.ua. Public link to the procurement: https://zakupivli.pro/commercial/tenders/r-ua-2026-07-14-1000054-k.
This material was produced by “The League of the Strong” public organisation as part of a project in collaboration with DRC, with financial support from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).