Persons with disabilities constitute at least 15% of any displaced population. According to available sources, there were 2.7 million persons with disabilities in Ukraine before the war.
Persons with disabilities are experiencing barriers in accessing safety from ongoing hostilities, in travelling long distances to flee hostilities, in accessing adequate bomb shelters and in crossing borders. Persons who have fled Ukraine have highlighted a lack of safe evacuation pathways and safe transportation, and inaccessible emergency shelters, as well as risks of being left behind or separated from family members.
This report, drafted by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in collaboration with EDF, provides an overview of the situation in Ukraine, highlights the five priority actions to strengthen support to persons with disabilities fleeing from Ukraine:
- Identification and inclusion in national services
- Accessible accommodation
- Identifying and mitigating barriers to services
- Accessible information and communication
- Engagement with organizations of persons with disabilities and working for persons with disabilities
The observations have been collected by UNHCR and the European Disability Forum and its members and partners working in Ukraine and in neighbouring and nearby countries.
Read the full report – Ensuring the protection of persons with disabilities fleeing from UKR (PDF document)