The Ministry of Social Policy has proposed changes to the maximum prices for technical and other rehabilitation equipment for people with disabilities. It would seem that the initiative is intended to improve access to the necessary means, but the draft order has a number of serious flaws that need to be addressed.
What did they offer?
The draft law calls for raising the maximum prices for certain prostheses for upper and lower limbs. This is a step in the right direction, but there is one caveat - other important rehabilitation equipment has been left out. For example, there is no provision for price increases for the following:
- breast prostheses;
- orthopedic shoes;
- self-care and personal care products;
- mobility aids.
Why is this a problem?
This selective increase raises many questions. Why did only a part of the products receive a price increase? What about those who need breast prostheses or special shoes? The explanatory note does not answer these questions, which only emphasizes the need to revise the project.
Reduced rights of victims
There is another serious problem - the restriction of the rights of certain categories of people. The draft proposes to replace the term «combatants» with «military personnel» in the documentation. This means that only those who are serving will be eligible for certain types of prostheses. Victims who are not in the military will lose this right. This is not just unfair, it is a reduction of existing guarantees.
What needs to be changed?
The National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAPDU) insists that this draft law needs to be revised. It is necessary to ensure that everyone who needs rehabilitation facilities has access to them on equal terms. The rights of certain categories of people with disabilities should not be narrowed - all of them should receive proper support.
NAIU has already asked the Ministry to review the draft and take into account all the important points.
********
The report was prepared and published within the framework of the project "Crisis in Ukraine: Response and Recovery with Persons with Disabilities (Phase 2), implemented by the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine in cooperation with the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the Christian Blind Mission (CBM).
