Overcoming Barriers. A Joint Path to an Equal Future.

Among the numerous challenges Ukraine's war in the East brings to the country, the increasing number of invalids and left behind disabled children might be one of the most pressing. They need appropriate health care, appropriate social welfare, appropriate streets, buildings and buses. They need to be seen as what they really are: usual people and citizens like everyone else.

But still, disabled people suffer from a rather negative image - a remnant of Soviet times. People with disabilities used to be excluded and hidden away from public life. Even nowadays many of them feel like they could not participate in the life of "the others". Like they themselves were "the others". Different.

Protecting Disability Rights is not only fundamental for Ukraine's future, but also for its relations with the EU. If the country is ought to become a member of the European Union, both of them need to protect disability rights in Ukraine.

 

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This radio report was produced during the third meeting of the project: 'Citizen Journalism and Digital Media Dialogue for Social Participation'. The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany.

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