The principle of involvement: how people with disabilities can defend their interests by influencing state and local policies

June 13 A five-day seminar "Involvement of NGOs of people with disabilities and veterans in the formation of state and local policies" has ended in Lviv region. The event was organized by The Resource Center of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAPWD) within the framework of projectin Rehabilitation in Ukraine (Rehab4U). 

The key goal of this event was to promote the involvement of people with disabilities, veterans and NGOs representing their interests in more active participation in decision-making processes at the national and local levels. 

The seminar became a platform for training and discussions for participants from Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Cherkasy regions. 

Representatives of civil society organizations discussed the obstacles they face when trying to influence the process of formulating decisions by authorities at various levels that would take into account the needs of people with disabilities. These include physical barriers that create an inaccessible environment for people with disabilities, as well as communication and institutional barriers that arise from problems with the provision of information services, and the lack of a legal framework for the unconditional inclusion of people with disabilities in society. Sometimes, as the panelists stated, the problem goes much deeper, as these restrictions are often rooted in social and cultural norms. 

Another important issue is restoring and improving access to rehabilitation services in communities. Participants learned how they can help overcome the information vacuum that exists in some communities regarding the rights, opportunities, and procedures for accessing rehabilitation for people with disabilities, how to counteract bureaucratic obstacles while working with limited budgetary resources, and successful practices.

The participants of the meeting stated that public organizations of people with disabilities should be actively involved in communication with local authorities. This will help ensure that decisions are made not for people with disabilities, but together with them. The mechanisms of cooperation include joint development of programs with local authorities to facilitate access to infrastructure, rehabilitation services, etc. 

Another topic that resonated with the participants was fundraising. They learned about ways to attract resources for their activities; where to look for sponsors, donors, patrons; what are the main sources of funding for a non-profit organization. Most importantly, they learned how fundraising can grow from a simple fundraising effort to much more global tasks, such as building a community, developing development strategies, and ensuring transparency and openness of the organization. 

Among the main points made during the seminar was the need to take into account the position of public organizations of people with disabilities and veterans in the process of rebuilding Ukraine. According to the participants of the meeting, efforts to rebuild the state must comply with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and contribute to its implementation. It is also necessary to support the development of a strategy on disability in Ukraine and the implementation of the UN Convention through the implementation of key reforms in Ukraine with the participation of organizations of people with disabilities, relevant government agencies, international organizations and experts. It is also necessary to ensure compliance with the UN Convention as a strategic requirement on the path of Ukraine's European integration.

The main principle of the activities of organizations of people with disabilities and veterans should be the involvement of their members in all spheres of life without exception. They should become not only inspirers of change, but also involved in its implementation. 

     NAPD Resource Centre::

•      Address: Office 109, 8/5A Reitarska St., Kyiv
•      Appointments can be made by phone at: +38 (044) 279 6182, +38 (095) 909 1413 
•      or by email: hubnapd@gmail.com  

This material is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Momentum Wheels for Humanity and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.