On 12 - 12 February 2025, Ukrainian delegation took part if various meetings and discussions, informing about the situation of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
They visited the EU Parliament to learn about EU democracy and how people with intellectual disabilities are represented in the EU.
They visited Inclusion ASBL to talk about how to improve easy-to-read in Ukraine and in Belgium.
The next day, the VGO Coalition met with the European Disability Forum to present the situation in the country, and to discuss all the work done in our joint project.
Later, they presented the situation of people with intellectual disabilities and their families to representatives of the European Commission who are working on Ukraine EU membership process.
- Hanna Solovei, self-advocate from Inclusion Ukraine, presented her engagement for rights of people with intellectual disabilities.
- Over 20,000 people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities live in large institutions, 100 in smaller institutions, and 1,000 in psychiatric hospitals.
- Over 40,000 people had their legal capacity removed, preventing them from making decisions, including voting.
- The situation has gotten worse because of the Russian war. For example, support services are disrupted and very hard to access.
Who took part in the visit
Hanna Solovei is a self-advocate from Inclusion Ukraine Inclusion Ukraine is a self-advocacy movement. Together, they keep advocating for their rights, even though the Ukrainian authorities say this is not a priority in times of war.
Raisa Kravchenko is also a mother of her son with intellectual disabilities. She dedicated her life to creating a better life for her son. She also advocates for her son’s rights and for the rights of all Ukrainians with intellectual disabilities.
Olena Tsarenko is a mother of a child with intellectual disabilities. She fears every day about the future of her child in Ukraine. As a journalist, she uses the media to raise awerness about the challenges faced by intellectual disabilities and their families.
During the visit, the 3 women also recorded an interview which will be soon available on Inclusion Europe Radio