War increases number of people with disabilities in Ukraine by 600,000, Ombudsman representative tells UN
Olena Kolobrodova, the representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights on social and economic rights, shared this information in a comment to a Ukrinform correspondent in New York.
She noted that she cited these figures while participating in a UN conference dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is taking place at UN headquarters.
Kolobrodova emphasized that after the war ends, the number of people with disabilities may increase even further due to the return of veterans from the front lines.
She also noted that Ukraine ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009 and is gradually incorporating its provisions into state policy and legislation.
According to the Ombudsman’s representative, during the presentation, the Ukrainian side emphasized how the war is affecting the observance of the rights of people with disabilities and how Russian aggression is worsening their situation.
Kolobrodova noted that since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 1,200 healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed.
People with limited mobility and persons with disabilities are particularly hard hit by the consequences of Russian attacks during power, heat, water, and communication outages.
She also briefed the UN on the situation of people with disabilities in the temporarily occupied territories.
According to her, due to limited access to communication, it is difficult to obtain information about human rights violations in the occupied territories; however, last year the Commissioner’s office received about 400 reports from residents of the TOT via the hotline.
“People report various violations of their rights. We help people evacuate from the Russian Federation and from the temporarily occupied territories,” she noted.
Kolobrodova reminded that one of the routes for Ukrainians to return is the humanitarian corridor through the Mokrany–Domanove checkpoint on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. In addition, Ukrainians often return via Poland, Moldova, and other neighboring countries.
She also noted that despite the war, Ukraine continues to reform its disability assessment system.
According to Kolobrodova, the state has abandoned the Soviet model of medical-social expert commissions (MSEC) and is transitioning to a system of assessing a person’s daily functioning that complies with international and European standards.
“This is a completely different approach that complies with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” she noted.
The Ombudsman’s representative added that the new system has become more digitized and transparent, which should reduce the corruption risks that have long plagued the work of the MSECs.
During their stay in New York, the Ukrainian delegation also held a series of meetings with international partners and human rights organizations, particularly as part of events organized by the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).
Kolobrodova reported that representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office discussed with colleagues from Germany, Sweden, Slovenia, and other countries issues related to independent living for people with disabilities, the provision of social services, and ensuring their participation in public life.
According to Kolobrodova, foreign partners are surprised that Ukraine continues to implement reforms even amid constant Russian attacks.
“Everyone is interested in how Ukrainians are living, looking good, and implementing reforms at a time when the Russian Federation is shelling us every night and every day. They wonder how this is possible,” she said.
As reported by Ukrinform, the government has adopted new rules to support the employment of people with disabilities.
Photo: Volodymyr Ilchenko
