Making everyday care a little easier 

The Piyasuk family lives in a hamlet near the village of Viinytsia. Lyudmyla is a mother who provides daily care for her adult son, Oleksandr. He has cerebral palsy and requires constant assistance with everyday tasks: feeding, dressing, hygiene, and mobility. Caring for him is a job Lyudmyla has been doing at home for 27 years.

Lyudmyla’s mother also has limited mobility and can only move around inside the house. All household responsibilities rest on one person’s shoulders — with no days off. At the same time, Lyudmyla tends the vegetable garden, takes care of the household, and still finds time for creativity.

At night, when she has a moment to herself, she creates intricate beadwork. Her jewelry — traditional sylianky, hherdany, and beaded collars — is complex, artistically refined, and in demand. She sells some of her pieces, and this income helps her maintain financial stability, as working outside the home is not an option.

Raising a child with a disability means constantly looking for solutions, not applying standard templates. Every child is unique, and every family has its own experience. When it comes to children with disabilities, typical approaches often don’t work. What’s needed is flexibility, openness to change, and the ability to adapt solutions to specific circumstances. Parents learn through experience, seek support, sometimes make mistakes — but keep going, day after day.

That’s why any support from the community, service providers, or civil society organizations must take into account the real needs of individual families — not just formal categories.

From the project “Multi-Sectoral Humanitarian Assistance with Disability Inclusion for IDPs, Returnees, Veterans, and Host Communities in Ukraine”, the Piyasuk family received a multifunctional electric bed for Oleksandr.

The bed includes a comfortable mattress, adjustable height, and protective side rails. This kind of equipment is not just about comfort — it’s about protecting the physical health of both mother and son, creating dignified caregiving conditions, and reducing the physical burden of daily care.

Families living with disability often remain invisible. But stories like this help us understand that inclusion is not a slogan — it’s about real, practical action. It’s about having access to assistive equipment. It’s about respect, and about access to information and services.

A strong community is one that sees, supports, and values the diversity of its residents’ life experiences. And it is such communities that shape a future where every person matters.

Oleksandra Perkova Communications Manager of the Project