Disabilities In Ukraine Research Articles

Regarding the employment of persons with disabilities

The article examines the performance indicators of the program objectives of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine regarding the realization of the right to work for persons with disabilities. Based on a comparison of employment rates for persons with disabilities in Ukraine and the European Union, a conclusion is drawn about the need to achieve the declared indicators and to adopt European practices for the inclusion of such individuals in labour relations. The article analyses the provisions of the Laws of Ukraine «On the Fundamentals of Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities» and «On Psychiatric Assistance» concerning the procedure for fulfilling employment quotas for persons with disabilities. Attention is drawn to their inconsistencies and the necessity of harmonizing their content. The article addresses problematic aspects of realizing the right to work for persons with disabilities who have been legally recognized as incapable. It presents statements from scholars and legislative provisions that define the legal labour capacity of persons with disabilities who have been declared legally incapable. It is argued that the legal basis for the inability of such individuals to exercise their constitutional right to work, due to incapacity, can be interpreted as discrimination against them from a certain perspective. It is emphasized that implementing employment support programs for persons with mental and intellectual disabilities is one way to reduce their discrimination and violations of their labour rights, counteract their stigma, and prevent social isolation. To enable persons with disabilities suffering from mental disorders, including those legally declared incapacitated, to exercise their right to work, it is proposed to introduce supported employment mechanisms. The article underscores the necessity of the principle of equal pay for equal work. It substantiates the possibility of engaging persons with disabilities who have been declared incapacitated in labour activities based on an employment integration agreement. Such a mechanism could effectively replace labour rehabilitation, which is one of the forms of individual rehabilitation. It is argued that such activities can only be carried out in the absence of medical contraindications to the person performing a certain type of work. The need to ensure these employees’ rights to remuneration, rest, and other benefits is emphasized. The article analyses the provisions of the draft law on social protection of persons with disabilities concerning the types of social enterprises. The article suggests the possibility of employing persons with disabilities who have been declared incapacitated at sheltered employment enterprises provided for by this draft law.

Legal provision for the rights of persons who receive rehabilitation assistance

The research is devoted to the problems of legal provision of the rights of persons who receive rehabilitation assistance. The author examines the norms of international and national legislation that enshrine the rights of citizens in the field of healthcare. The works of scholars who have examined the peculiarities of exercising certain patients’ rights are studied. The article describes the legislative acts regulating the rights of a patient in a rehabilitation institution in Ukraine. It is indicated that certain patient rights are enshrined in the Civil Code of Ukraine and the Fundamentals of Healthcare Legislation. Special rights of the patients of rehabilitation institutions are provided for by the Laws of Ukraine “On Rehabilitation in the Healthcare Sector” and “On Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine”. The classification of patient's rights into socio-economic, legal, informational, ethical and those related to ensuring the quality of rehabilitation care is proposed. It is indicated that informational rights include the right to information about rights and obligations, diagnosis, functional limitations, nature of treatment, and preservation of medical confidentiality. It is concluded that socio-economic rights consist in the possibility of access to free rehabilitation services at the expense of budgetary funds under the programme of State medical guarantees. It is noted that ethical rights provide for a humane and respectful attitude of medical personnel towards patients. Among the legal rights of the patient is the possibility of judicial and administrative protection of the patient’s rights by applying to law enforcement agencies and courts. The patient has the right to qualified rehabilitation care. Proposals for amendments to the current legislation are made. The necessity to systematise patient rights and provide for them in a separate Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Patients’ Rights” is emphasised.

International and national legal guarantees for the realization of the status of groups of people with low mobility

The article analyses the international and national legal guarantees for the implementation of the status of groups of people with low mobility. The article identifies the key principles of international normative acts in the field of rights and freedoms of groups of people with low mobility. Their significance lies in guaranteeing the relevant areas of activity of Ukraine as a State party to create legal, economic, social, and other conditions for ensuring the rights and opportunities of persons with low mobility on an equal footing with other participants in legal relations. The status of implementation of international guarantees of the status of groups of people with low mobility in national legislation is analysed. The Constitution of Ukraine, the primary laws of Ukraine ‘On the Fundamentals of Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine’, ‘On the Status of War Veterans, and Guarantees of Their Social Protection’, normative acts of the President of Ukraine “On the National Program of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities for 2001-2005”, “On Measures to Strengthen Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities; the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine’s regulations on Measures to Improve the Situation of Persons with Disabilities, On Approval of the Action Plan for Creating an Unhindered Living Environment for Persons with Disabilities and Other Low-Mobility Groups for 2009-2015 ‘Barrier-Free Ukraine’, and many others are studied. The implementation of the regulations has resulted in the creation of an unhindered living environment for groups of people with low mobility, the functioning of training courses on creating an unhindered environment for the life of people with disabilities, etc. The author substantiates the view that the provisions of the analysed current legal acts are the basis for the further formation and implementation of the State policy on the development and adoption of State social guarantees in general and for groups of people with low mobility in particular, national standards and technical specifications, and also for conducting research and development and research work on the implementation of the principles of reasonable accommodation and universal design.

Analysis of the world experience on the approaches to the definition of disability: on the way to reforming the system of medical and social expertise

The Ukrainian system of medical and social expertise needs to revise its conceptual and methodological foundations in accordance with the realities of the current development of social sciences in the world and demand of the state regarding the modern understanding of disability. The purpose of the study was to analyze international experience and legislation on policy towards persons with disabilities and systematic approaches to the criteria of violation of functioning and the possibilities of determining the status of "person with disabilities" using the basic principles of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF), Impairment and Health to create optimal approaches to determining the criteria for disability in Ukraine. The study was based on the analysis of available scientific literature and legislative documents of developed countries on the understanding of the concept of "person with a disability". The scientometric databases used were Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and MedLine. Data from the official websites of the Political Department of the European Parliament, WHO, the United Nations, UNICEF, the World Bank. According to the results of the study, it is determined that a single state body is responsible for determining the status of a person with a disability in sustainable development countries using a multidisciplinary approach. The author identifies 3 main components that most developed countries assess when determining disability: economic, medical and social. At the same time, the main criterion is decreased performance. It has been established that since 2022, Spain has completely switched to the criteria of the International Classification of Functioning in determining the signs of disability, basing the severity of a person's condition as a degree of disability on a percentage decrease in the person's functioning. Some European countries use selective categories of the ICF.

Роль туризму для людей з обмеженими можливостями у соціальній інтеграції

The article explores key aspects related to inclusive tourism and its impact on the social integration of individuals with disabilities in Ukraine during the period from 2017 to 2021. It highlights the increase in the number of people with disabilities and defines the concept of inclusive tourism, its development, and its purpose to facilitate the inclusion of the target audience into society. The interconnection between inclusive tourism and social integration is investigated, emphasizing the importance of the participation of individuals with disabilities in tourist events and programs. The article also analyzes the impact of the COVID19 pandemic on inclusive tourism and explores possibilities for overcoming difficulties arising from travel restrictions. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the significance of inclusive tourism as a tool for social integration and addresses pertinent issues related to the development of this field, considering not only the demand for such services but also the challenges arising from external factors, such as the pandemic.

Seeking victim-centred accountability for violence against persons with disabilities at the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Ukraine

Abstract Persons with disabilities suffer disproportionately in every armed conflict, and Russia’s war in Ukraine is no exception. The atrocities committed against persons with disabilities in this conflict, however, are in part a consequence of the state’s longstanding policy of institutionalization, which heightens existing vulnerabilities and places persons with disabilities at an unacceptable risk of acute harm. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Ukraine must investigate the extensive and varied acts of violence that have been committed against persons with disabilities in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, with a focus on persons with disabilities who are institutionalized. In recommending future action, the Commission must be driven by a victim-centred approach to accountability that contributes both to the criminal prosecutions of individual perpetrators, and to systemic reforms that contribute to the project of deinstitutionalization. This article can assist the Commission’s analysis by: (i) canvassing the reports of violence against persons with disabilities during the war in Ukraine, particularly those persons in institutions; (ii) reviewing the Commission for Ukraine’s mandate and explaining its primary purpose – that is, to ascertain the facts of the conflict, through an intersectional lens, with the aim of promoting accountability – with reference to the work done by United Nations commissions of inquiry in the past; and (iii) providing concrete examples on how the Commission’s investigations and report can further both legal accountability and systemic accountability for violence against persons with disabilities in Ukraine.

Status of providing the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities in Ukraine : today 's challenges (taking into account decisions of the ECTHR)

Status of providing the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities in Ukraine : today 's challenges (taking into account decisions of the ECTHR)

Дослідження можливостей створення та підтримки інклюзивних туристичних сервісів

The article discusses the topic of development of inclusive tourism and the possibility of introducing inclusive tourist services. The importance of ensuring the availability of tourist services for all categories of the population is analyzed. The main challenges faced by the industry during the implementation of inclusive solutions are identified, and the prospects for the further development of this segment of tourism are outlined. The analysis of scientific literature on inclusive tourism showed that there is currently no generally accepted definition for this type of tourism in Ukraine. However, inclusive tourism is an important aspect of tourism development, especially for people with disabilities. This type of tourism is developing all over the world, and countries are actively adapting their tourism infrastructure to ensure a comfortable vacation for everyone. However, various problems of the development of inclusive tourism in Ukraine indicate the need for increased and comprehensive attention from the state and society. Despite the availability of both theoretical and scientific-practical studies, the issues of tourism development for people with disabilities in Ukraine remain insufficiently studied.

Pharmacoeconomic analysis of edaravone usage in the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke in Ukraine

Every year, the number of new cases of strokes is increasing all over the world. More than 62% of all strokes are ischemic strokes. Ischemic stroke is a serious medical and social problem and one of the main causes of death and disability in Ukraine and around the world. The use of drugs, the main task of which is to increase the safety of nervous tissue, has the great importance in the pharmacotherapy of ischemic stroke.
 The aim of the study was to analyze the results of cost-effectiveness calculations and the impact on the budget during the use of the drug Xavron® for the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke in Ukraine.
 Research materials: regulatory and legal framework of Ukraine, scientific and methodological guidelines for the medical use of medicines, clinical trials and relevant recommendations, analytical materials, data on drug prices from drug aggregators and the electronic public procurement system, tariffs for medical services under the program of state guarantees of medical care for the population. Research methods: cost analysis (bottom-up and decision tree methods), cost-effectiveness and budget impact analysis, cost-effectiveness plane method, and sensitivity analysis.
 It was established that the method of treatment using Xavron® in combination with standard therapy is less expensive and more effective: the «cost-effectiveness» indicator for medical therapy based on Xavron® amounted to UAH 84,639.24, while for standard therapy – UAH 88,340.62.
 The results of the analysis of the incremental efficiency indicator (ICER) for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke based on Xavron® amounted to UAH 24,838.69. This indicates that the method of treatment using Xavron® in combination with standard therapy is more effective and less costly.
 The conducted sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of pharmacoeconomic calculations regarding changes in the main parameters of the model.
 The method of treatment using Xavron® in combination with standard therapy and inpatient rehabilitation is the best strategy in terms of budget impact analysis. It results in savings of UAH 237,641,992.50 from the Ukrainian healthcare budget for all patients and additional costs of UAH 6,804.10 per patient.
 According to the results of the forecast, the amount of saved funds from the healthcare budget of Ukraine for 2023–2027 (5 years) for all patients will amount to UAH 1,247,480,956.10.
 The implementation of the proposed methods of treatment will make it possible to improve the results of treatment of patients with ischemic stroke, as well as reduce the social and economic burden of this disease.

Evaluation of physical fitness level of operational level officers with limited functional capabilities according to physical status indicators

The article highlights the problematic issue that the number of operational level officers with limited functional capabilities increases every year in higher military educational institutions of Ukraine. Much better conditions are being done that are necessary for the functioning of students with special needs in Ukrainian higher education institutions, but today there are still a number of problems that complicate the process of integration and adaptation of students with special needs. This category of officers who received injuries or contusions during combat missions and lost all functional abilities for a long period of time, or because of sustained injuries or illnesses received during the performance of official duties, due to their health status, cannot attend regular physical training classes and common physical fitness tests. It is evident that after the end of the war, there will be significantly more people with disabilities in Ukraine. Therefore, it is necessary to think about creating state programs in order to involve this category in all spheres of human life in Ukrainian society, about creating conditions for the appropriate accessibility of health care facilities for them, sanatorium treatment, employment, cultural institutions, about the availability of legal support and information, etc. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyse alternative exercises and tests for assessing of physical fitness level of operational level officers with limited functional capabilities according to physical condition indicators. Conclusions. The focus of officers’ physical training is to recover as quickly as possible from an injury or trauma, or to be physically fit while maintaining as much as possible functionality of the injured or wounded body part.

Infectious complications of external fixation in patients with polytrauma

Annotation. Among the main causes of mortality and in the structure of primary disability in Ukraine, the consequences of injuries consistently rank third, second only to cardiovascular and oncological diseases. The intensive use of implants in traumatology and orthopedics in the second half of the 20th century, along with significant advantages in the tactics of surgical treatment and further improvement of the quality of life of patients, also contributed to the emergence of infection. The purpose of our work was to determine the features of the occurrence and localization of the infectious process after external fixation as a result of polytrauma. An analysis of the treatment of 181 patients who were hospitalized in the Department of osteomyelitis surgery at the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine was conducted. Statistical processing was carried out using the method of calculating the coefficient of the polychoric relationship indicator according to K. Pearson. As our study indicated, in 93.6% of patients with infectious complications of external fixation as a result of polytrauma, the pathological process was localized in the lower limb, which is associated with high-energy injuries inherent in multisystemic and multiorgan damage. Most often, the purulent process in patients with external fixation as a result of polytrauma was found in the lower third of the tibia (21.0%), the middle third of the tibia (17.9%) and the lower third of the femur (15.8%). Purulent complications in the area of the upper extremity in patients with external fixation as a result of polytrauma were observed four times less often than in patients with the same complications as a result of an isolated injury.

LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

The purpose of the article is that its authors have attempted to identify the nature of different types of legal responsibility for the violation of specific socio-economic rights of people with disabilities. For this purpose, through the use of dialectical, comparative legal methods, grouping methods, documentary analysis and analysis, the theoretical-practical and legislative aspects of material (financial), administrative, civil, criminal and disciplinary responsibility for the violation of the rights of persons with disabilities to work, strike, rest, entrepreneurial activity, social protection and social security, housing, health care and rehabilitation and a number of other rights. As a result, specific examples of violations of the social and economic rights of persons with disabilities are given. Emphasis is placed on rare cases of violations of the right to reproductive health of persons with disabilities who wish to become parents, as well as those who are aware of the disability of an unborn child. In this context, the critical situation of persons with disabilities living in prisons, where they are effectively deprived of the right to create a family, is noted. A separate level of violations of the rights of people with disabilities is related to discrimination on the grounds of disability, which manifests itself in all spheres of life of representatives of this category of the population in relation to practically all rights provided for them at the legislative level. The article also mentions frequent cases of violation of the right to an adequate level of social security, to the provision of medicines, to education, to employment, to parking in specially designated places, to free travel on public transport, etc. In connection with such a situation, the institution of responsibility (administrative, civil, criminal, disciplinary and material) for the violation of socio-economic rights of people with disabilities functions. Its grounds and mechanisms of application are defined to varying degrees in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the Code of Administrative Offences of Ukraine, as well as the following laws of Ukraine: "On the Fundamentals of Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine", "On Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine", "On Liability for Offences in the Field of Urban Development" and other regulatory acts. The above conclusions are supported by a series of statistical data on the situation of accessibility of the environment for people with disabilities, their employment, the level of impoverishment of this category of the population, the protection of violated rights before the courts, etc. The value of the proposed article is reduced to the fact that it is a complex scientific work reflecting the author's view of the current state, problems and prospects for development of the field of legal responsibility for violation of socio-economic rights of people with disabilities.

The System of the Educational Process of Pupils with Disabilities in Ukraine

This expert text brings thought and reflection to the system of special pedagogy in Ukraine. We hear about this country in the context of a war conflict, and other equally important areas are unknown to us. At the present stage, new perspectives have shown up in the system of correctional education related to the rethinking of the attitude to the organisation of education and upbringing of children with special needs. Authorities, pedagogues, and ordinary citizens seek to come closer to understanding the difficulties these individuals face; actively discuss the benefits of special or integrated education; try to create certain conditions for their life (ramps, sign language translation, etc.); implement foreign experience. The practice of European countries, the United States, and Canada shows that children with special needs can be educated not only in special, separate from general education institutions, but also in usual schools on the model of integrated or inclusive education, which provides quality educational services to children regardless level of their development. The introduction of modern models of education, upbringing, and rehabilitation of children with psychophysical development requires not only a special organisation of the material environment, but also training of psychological and pedagogical staff of secondary schools, as the effectiveness of integrated and inclusive education depends on proper psychological and pedagogical support of these children. Non-governmental organisations, including organisations of parents of children with special educational needs, play a significant role in implementing such changes in Ukrainian society.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities: Perspectives from people with disabilities

In this paper, we relied on co-researching with persons with disabilities in Ukraine not as a means of understanding the epidemiology of this disease, or of its impact on human health. We approached COVID-19 and the Ukrainian authorities’ response to the pandemic as proxy, or a magnifying glass, to better understand the everyday life of persons with disabilities in Ukraine, and to explore how things could and should be done differently in the context of public health or other emergencies. The pandemic unsettled and disrupted the meanings of personal space and time for virtually everyone across the world; it unmasked, reinforced and reconfigured existing inequalities, cascading them into further injustices of (im)mobility and access. This is especially true for persons with disabilities. Kennedy-Macfoy uses an analogy in relation to COVID-19. She describes COVID-19 as a ‘looking glass’. Our ‘COVID-19 as a looking glass’ findings presented in both parts of the project report paint a picture of entrenched economic and social deprivations experienced by people with disabilities in Ukraine, patterned by the intersecting and reinforcing inequalities of gender, age, locality, displacement, and socio-economic status, and exacerbated rather than created by the pandemic. This article is devoted to the second part of the extensive study ‘The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People with Disabilities in Ukraine’. In this article, the authors elaborate on the methodology of the second phase of the study and the views of people with disabilities on the issues of communication about the COVID pandemic and access to medical care during a pandemic for people with disabilities.

Tasks of the state policy of formation and implementation of social protection for persons with disabilities in Ukraine

The article is devoted to the study of the tasks of the state policy of formation and implementation of social protection of persons with disabilities in Ukraine. The article analyzes international and national legislation in the researched area. In the article, the author provides the author's definition of the tasks of the state policy of the formation and implementation of social protection of persons with disabilities as a predetermined complex of decisions and actions of subjects of power, aimed at solving the problems of social protection of persons with disabilities. In addition, among the main tasks of social security of persons with disabilities recognized by the world community, namely the identification and elimination of obstacles and barriers that prevent the provision of rights and the satisfaction of needs, including access to public and civil facilities, improvement, transport infrastructure, road service (hereinafter – objects of the physical environment), transport, information and communication, as well as taking into account individual capabilities, abilities and interests – to education, work, culture, physical culture and sports; health care; social protection; ensuring the implementation of an individual rehabilitation program for persons with disabilities; provision of adapted housing; promotion of social activities. The author focuses on the fact that the inherited system of social protection of persons with disabilities is largely based on the medical model of disability. In addition, it was established that the issue of transition from the medical model of social protection is currently being updated, and currently the priority tasks of social protection of persons with disabilities are their autonomy and social inclusion; departure from the medical model of protection; the need to «transpose» the system of services for persons with disabilities, directing them to the independence and atomization of the individual.

MODELING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN UKRAINE

The article presents the results of research on the implementation of the principles of inclusive education in Ukraine, substantiates its relevance in the development of a democratic society and European integration policy. The principles of the state policy in the field of inclusive education, its normative-legal support and international practice of providing educational services to citizens with special needs are described. Advanced experience of inclusion introduction in the educational process of preschool, general secondary, vocational and higher education institutions is analyzed. Official statistics on the total number of people with disabilities in Ukraine; availability of special secondary education institutions (boarding schools) and their contingent; the number of children with disabilities in preschool education institutions, students with disabilities in full-time secondary education institutions, persons with disabilities in vocational education institutions, persons with disabilities among students of higher education institutions etc., have been handled. The importance and expediency of the scientific development of the principles of inclusive education, its practical implementation and study of socio-economic effect are substantiated. Graphic visualization of the correlation between the employed persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities, number of children, pupils, students with special educational needs in education establishments of Ukraine is presented.

Current trends and regional peculiarities of disability due to cardiovascular diseases in Ukraine

Annotation. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of premature death and disability in Ukraine, which determines their significant medical, social and economic significance. The aim of the study was to analyze the general trends and regional characteristics of primary disability due to CVD in Ukraine in 2010-2020. The dynamic analysis was carried out using such indicators as absolute growth (AGr) and growth rate (GR). Such parameters as minimum, maximum territorial value, median, amplitude of a series of regional distribution of indicators, upper lower quartile, coefficient of regional variation were also analyzed. The stability of territorial characteristics of primary disability due to CVD in Ukraine was determined using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). The comparison of disability caused by CVD in Ukraine and the countries of Europe and the European Union was carried out on the basis of the indicator of DALYs calculated per 100 000 population. Materials obtained from the statistical database of the international epidemiological study “Global Burden of Disease”, updated for 2019, were used for the analysis. With the help of the medical-statistical method, the materials of the state statistical reporting (form № 14) regarding primary disability caused by CVD in Ukraine and its regions in 2019-2020 were analyzed. A trend towards a decrease in primary disability caused by CVD among the adult population (by 19.6%, from 11.2 in 2010 to 9.0 per 10,000 in 2020) and among working-age population (by 11.5%, from 10.4 to 9.2 per 10,000, respectively) was determined. At the same time, CVD continues to be the leading cause of disability in the adult and working-age population with a share in the structure of primary disability of 23.5% and 21.2%, respectively. It has been established that in 73.1% of cases, primary disability due to CVD is formed at the age less than 55 for women and 60 years for men. The loss of life years due to disability caused by CVD in Ukraine is 1.2 times higher than in European countries and 1.4 times higher than in the European Union. Cerebrovascular disease account for almost half (45.3% for adults and 44.8% for the population of working age), and coronary heart disease for a third (33.2% and 35.4%, respectively) of all cases of primary disability, caused by CVD. The study identified regions of Ukraine with high levels and increasing of primary disability due to CVD. Reduction in the disability of the population of Ukraine and its regions requires the improvement of primary and secondary prevention of CVD, increasing the efficiency of rehabilitation of patients with CVD, and optimizing cardiological and cardiac surgical care. Our further research will be aimed at substantiating the possibilities of improving the organization of cardiac surgical care for the population of Ukraine.

People with Disabilities in Ukraine - A Call for Action.

People with Disabilities in Ukraine - A Call for Action.

The role of non-governmental public associations in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in Ukraine during the war

The problems of persons with disabilities in general and with mental disabilities in particular, which have become even more acute in Ukraine with the beginning of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation, have been highlighted. The purpose of the study is to determine the role and place of public associations in the process of realizing and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, in particular persons with mental disabilities (permanent psycho-intellectual disabilities), during the war period, as well as formulating recommendations for improving the state of observance of rights and freedoms this category of persons. The objective impossibility of the population social protection state bodies, which are located in or near the places of hostilities, to perform their functions due to the existing danger for workers, as well as the impossibility of transferring these bodies to a remote work format, has been established.
 The use of a number of general scientific and special research methods has made it possible to analyzed the situation with respect to the rights of the specified category of persons in Ukraine in current conditions. A significant increase in the role and effectiveness of civil society institutions, in particular non-governmental public associations, has been noted. A conclusion has been made regarding the need to strengthen cooperation between these social service providers. It has been recommended to expand the participation of representatives of such public organizations in the process of making managerial decisions both at the state level and at the level of local self-government.
 Monitoring and analysis of the dynamics of the effectiveness of both state bodies of social protection of the population and non-state public associations in Ukraine by studying the opinion of the final beneficiaries, such as persons with disabilities, has been defined as a promising direction for further research.

Implementation of speech therapy with persons with intellectual disabilities in Ukraine during May–June 2022

BackgroundIntellectual disability (ID) is a condition that requires complex systematic special support, including speech therapy. Speech therapists in Ukraine face professional challenges in working with persons with ID in the conditions of the military conflict with the Russian Federation. This qualitative study offers a representation of the situation of speech therapy practice in Ukraine in May-June 2022, and the impact of military conflict on persons with ID and their families. MethodsThe current study made use of an adaptation of the five-step IPSE approach. Ten Ukrainian speech therapists were interviewed. Due to subjective and objective reasons arising from the current situation in Ukraine, data collection through sampling was limited. ResultsA general framework based on two central axes of experience was applied in the data analysis. The two axes are: 1) Speech therapy of persons with ID in Ukraine and 2) Impact of the military situation on speech therapy in Ukraine. The following key categories of the speech therapy experience were discussed: 1) Therapeutic Activities, 2) Clients, 3) Challenges and 4) Emotional wellbeing. The results are presented for each category and discussed in terms of both central axes of experience. Additional considerations of the speech therapy experience in Ukraine that were raised during the interviews are also briefly discussed. ConclusionsOur results indicate the problem of organizing speech therapy assistance for persons with ID from Ukraine during the analysed period. The consequences of the situation in the country on speech therapists, people with ID, and their families are discussed highlighting difficulties, challenges as well as emerging positive attitudes.