Institute of Sociology NASU

THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN UKRAINE: PERSPECTIVES OF THE ORGANISATIONS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

stmm. 2022 (2): 177-186

KIRIL SHARAPOV, PhD in Politics, University of Glasgow; Associate Professor at the School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University (Sighthill Campus, Sighthill Court, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, the United Kingdom)

k.sharapov@napier.ac.uk

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5781-2953

DAVID ANDERSON, Research Assistant at the School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University (Sighthill Campus, Sighthill Court, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, the United Kingdom)

D.Anderson3@napier.ac.uk

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0963-9874

OLGA BUROVA, Candidate of Sciences in Sociology, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Sociopolitical Processes, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (12 Shovkovychna St., room 317, Kyiv, 01021)

burova_olga@yahoo.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4149-8859

VIKTORIA NAZARENKO, Secretary-General of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (8/5A Reitarska St., room 110, Kyiv, 01030)

office-naiu@ukr.net

OLENA POLISHCHUK, department employee at the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (8/5A Reitarska St., room 110, Kyiv, 01030)

office-naiu@ukr.net

According to the data from the National Social Service and Pension Fund, Ukraine has at least 2,724,100 persons registered as having a disability, with actual figures likely to be higher due to the lack of reliable and detailed statistics. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated existing problems with inadequate response by public authorities in Ukraine relating to the social and economic well-being of people with disabilities. According to the data published by the Ministry of Health, 3,672,675 people in Ukraine had been diagnosed with COVID-19 by 1 January 2022, and 96,089 deaths had been officially recorded. These figures are likely to be inaccurate either, with real totals much higher, while no data has been collected on COVID-19 infections disaggregated by disability. At the time of the survey, the situation was even more difficult in the conflict-affected east of Ukraine and for people who had been internally displaced by the conflict. This is particularly true for people with disabilities, where displacement exacerbates existing challenges. As of July 2021, there were 1,473,650 internally displaced persons (IDPs) registered in Ukraine, including 51,586 persons with disabilities. These are figures provided by the Ministry of Social Policy. The coronavirus pandemic has affected access to health and social services, worsened existing issues with a lack of adequate housing for conflict-affected populations (especially IDPs) and deepened poverty. Lockdown also resulted in the closure of entry/exit points between government-controlled and separatist-held areas of the country, severely curtailing the mobility of local populations. So far, little research, either quantitative or qualitative, has done to provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges faced by people with disabilities in Ukraine, especially those living in a situation of protracted displacement. There is also a lack of research and information regarding the impact that COVID-19 has had upon these populations, as well as the inadequate state response at local and national levels. The survey presented here is supposed to fill somewhat this gap.

Keywords: COVID-19, disability, internal displacement, human rights, organisations of people with disabilities, inequality, discrimination, accessibility

References

1. Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine (2020, April 14). Who will receive a one-off relief payment of UAH 1,000. [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://www.msp.gov.ua/news/18521.html [Міністерство соціальної політики України 2020]
2. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2021, July 19). A/76/146: Report on the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of armed conflict. Retrieved from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/a76146-report-rights-persons-disabilities-context-armed-conflict
3. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2007, January 24). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities [A/RES/61/106]. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/resources/general-assembly/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-ares61106.html
4. United Nations Security Council (2019, June 20). Resolution on the protection of persons with disabilities in armed conflict [S/RES/2475]. Retrieved from https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/186/60/PDF/N1918660.pdf

Received 24.05.2021