Ukraine

“Person with disabilities” is defined as a person with persistent impairment of body function which, in interaction with the external environment, can result in the limitation of their everyday activities, and as a result of which the State is required both to create the conditions necessary to enable such persons to exercise their rights on an equal basis with other citizens and to ensure their social protection.

Under articles 2 and 42 of the Act on the Framework for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine, discrimination on the basis of disability is prohibited. Persons guilty of violating the rights of persons with disabilities are liable under the law to disciplinary or administrative action or criminal prosecution.

Based on Article 19 of the Act on the Framework for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine, “companies, institutions, organizations and natural persons that hire employees, including businesses and organizations belonging to civil society organizations for persons with disabilities, are required to establish a quota for the recruitment of persons with disabilities set at 4 per cent of the average number of regular full-time staff, calculated over a year; in places where between 8 and 25 persons work, the quota is one person.”

Act on the Framework for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine, Article 4: “states that the following obligations with respect to persons with disabilities: to identify and remove obstacles and barriers that inhibit their enjoyment of their rights and the satisfaction of their needs, including in terms of access to facilities, transportation, information and communications and, taking into account their individual capacities, abilities and interests, access to education, employment, culture, physical exercise and sport, health care and social protection; to provide adapted accommodation; and to facilitate their participation in public life.”

The situation for people with disabilities is heavily influenced by the war in Ukraine. Specifically, children that have a disability in Ukraine do not have easy access to education, health, social services and other support from their communities.The war made life extremely difficult for persons with disabilities because their needs were not included in evacuation plans which lead to lack of access to safe shelter, food, etc.

As of 2011, 6% of Ukraine’s population was made up of disabled people. Of that 6%, only 25% of the working age people were employed.

• Refworld CRPD
• Unicef – Disabilities
• European Disability Forum