Presenting the results of the 'National Sociological Study on the Perception of People with Disabilities in Ukraine,' conducted by the Sociological Group 'Rating' as part of the project 'Expertise Centre in the Field of Rights of People with Disabilities' commissioned by the Public Association 'All-Ukrainian Union of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities “The Strong people League”. 

Attitude of society

⅔ of the respondents believe that Ukrainian society has a positive attitude towards military personnel with disabilities. Towards civilians with disabilities, the attitude is generally neutral. It is worth noting that respondents with disabilities themselves predominantly describe the feelings people have towards them as pity. This emotion is experienced by 71% of the respondents regarding people with disabilities.

On the other hand, when meeting with military personnel with disabilities, the main emotion reported by the respondents is "gratitude," followed by "compassion."

"One of the participants in the focus group notes, 'Military people, they are more reserved; they don't need you to approach them, showing pity or sympathy. But the only thing you can do, and for me, this is right, is to come to them and say thank you."

Ukrainian society has not yet developed experience in interacting with people with disabilities. This is evident in the respondents' lack of understanding of the term "inclusivity." They use it not in the context of the overall integration of people with and without disabilities in society but specifically in relation to the education of children in inclusive classrooms.

Although 90% agree that people with disabilities can lead active lives similar to those without disabilities, it appears that the responses were given considering social desirability, an attempt to present oneself in the best light. 

On the one hand, respondents declare a high degree of approval for the social integration of people with disabilities and personal comfort in communication with them. However, at the same time, the indicator of social stigma tells a different story.

A sense of happiness and opportunity Relatives and families of people with disabilities more often than others state that these individuals perceive themselves as unhappy. Among those who personally have a disability, every fifth person agreed with the statement "people with disabilities are punished for their actions." 

The opportunities for military personnel who acquired disabilities during the war are perceived somewhat more favourably than those for civilians with disabilities. Respondents pointed out that the military personnel who lost their health in the war should receive more help and support from society.

The best opportunities for people with disabilities, according to respondents, are in the field of education and learning. Conversely, the worst opportunities for people with disabilities in Ukraine are perceived to be in finding employment and engaging in entrepreneurship.

Discriminatory aspects of people with disabilities 

What do people with disabilities say about life in Ukrainian society?

Respondents identified mobility as the primary discriminatory issue, specifically the ability to move freely outside their homes. Other challenges mentioned include the lack of access to public spaces and discrimination in job searching and employment, often taking a nominal form to meet quota requirements.

The majority of respondents gave mediocre to poor evaluations of the state of sectors and initiatives for people with disabilities. Specifically, respondents with disabilities often highlighted issues with rehabilitation. Despite good quality, a common problem is that rehabilitation rooms are located on the upper floors of hospitals. Additionally, there are very limited rehabilitation opportunities in small towns.

Almost 60% of the respondents indicated that people with disabilities most need financial assistance, nearly 50% mentioned a need for medical support, and over 40% expressed a need for psychological assistance.

What exactly do people with disabilities need?

Respondents with disabilities often noted that their main need is to be seen, accepted, and normalized by society. They want to be agents of change in this direction, willing to communicate their issues, engage in improving public spaces to make them accessible and fair. They aspire to change society's perception of them and see it as part of their responsibility in this process.

The main question, considering the above, is who should address the issues of people with disabilities? People with disabilities themselves somewhat more frequently take responsibility for resolving their own issues. In contrast, the majority of surveyed citizens believe that local or central government should be involved in addressing these matters.

The Sociological Group "Rating" took into account the risks when surveying people with disabilities, so individual interviews were used as the interaction tool. Research is one of the components of the project "Center for Expertise in the Rights of People with Disabilities." The center operates thanks to a grant from the Program "Support for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)" in Ukraine, within the framework of financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. The program is implemented by Crown Agents in partnership with International Alert and in collaboration with Crown Agents in Ukraine. The content of the post does not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom, Crown Agents, International Alert, and Crown Agents in Ukraine. All information about criteria, allowable expenses, and requirements for applicants can be found on the Support for Civil Society Organizations in Ukraine