Iryna Tverdokhlib: the most important dream at the moment is only one – the victory of Ukraine and the possibility to rebuild our country in a new format where human dignity is supported by a decent life.

28 Листопада 2023 by Olga Zhurbenko

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Iryna Tverdokhlib is a regional representative of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine in Poltava region and Deputy Chair of the regional and municipal accessibility committees. She is also head of the city’s organization of people with disabilities and, despite using a wheelchair to move around, she is active in public activities and advocacy of the rights of people with disabilities.

Iryna, tell us please about your childhood.

– It seems to me that most people are recollecting their childhood with pleasant emotions. I remember that I always dreamed of becoming a primary school teacher.

And I also loved nature very much. I dreamed of going to the sea, but I was always happy to come to my grandparents’ village, feeling that they were waiting for me and loved me.

With special trembling and tenderness in her voice, Iryna recalls the visits to her grandparents, the large forest that began right next to their house, and the forest animals that would occasionally wander into their home yard.

What situation caused your injury and what was your reaction when you realized that you would be using a wheelchair?

– It happened in my favorite village. I was 27 at the time. While I was picking apples, a branch suddenly broke off and I just fell off the tree. At first, I didn’t realize what had happened. There was only a terrible pain that couldn’t be compared to any pain I’d ever experienced in my life. I thought I had a rupture of my internal organs, and only when a local paramedic arrived, did I hear for the first time that I might have had a spinal fracture. A few days after the surgery, I started to realize that this was an unusual injury and that it would probably last for a long time.

My first thought, considering that I love nature, was, “So, I won’t be able to feel the ground with my feet anymore?” No, it was not so much that I couldn’t walk anymore, but that I wouldn’t be able to feel the ground with my feet as I used to that was worrying me at that moment.

After that, there was a period of treatment, during which my family, friends, and neighbors were always there to support and help me. I had different feelings and emotions during that acute period, but the most depressing thing was to understand that in many cases I was dependent on the help of others, and that I couldn’t be as active as before. Most of all, I suddenly started to feel physical barriers very sharply – something I could not even guess about before the injury. Because of them, my mobility was practically limited to my bed for several months.

What motivated you and helped not to give up?

– I am a primary school teacher by my first education, and I had worked five years before my injury. As you understand, this particular category of teachers have to be extremely creative and constantly keep their finger on the pulse of the surrounding events. These are the principles that have been accompanying me throughout my life. My little child and younger sister were also an inspiring stimulus for me.

Also, at that time, active rehabilitation camps were opening, and the first were held in our Poltava region. It was there that I received my first wheelchair, learned to live in my new status and became more mobile. Later, I became an intern first and also an instructor at those active rehabilitation camps.

I know that you have more than one education background. Was it difficult to select which profession to train for?

– The first education is my calling, and my second degree was probably a challenge. When I came to Yevpatoria for rehabilitation and met my colleagues who had already obtained or were getting higher education at that time, I was surprised and then curious to know how they could apply it in their life. Later, healthy competition and the desire to become the first person in a wheelchair in Poltava to have higher education kicked in. In addition, I had a desire to learn more and develop myself.

After learning about Poltava Institute of Economics and Law, I decided to go there for detailed information about the training specializations available at the time. I couldn’t get into the institute immediately because of countless, as it seemed to me then, stairs in front of me. So, a security guard came out to me. He listened to my request to invite someone from the admission department or the administration to see me and give me the information I needed, but no one ever showed up. Instead, after a while, the man came back and told me that I wouldn’t be able to study at that place because it was inaccessible to people with disabilities. This phrase became decisive for me because I realized for sure that I would get my education exactly there. After asking the students who had gone outside for a break to help me climb the stairs to the second floor, I went straight to the deputy head of the institute, since I’d been told that the head was on vacation at that time. After a few seconds of surprise at my appearance, we had a great constructive conversation, which resulted in an absolute understanding about choosing the major specialty that suited me best and about all my further actions as a potential student.

Ms. Iryna, you have three education degrees, you are a student for the fourth time, and you also work. Please tell us whether, in your opinion, there is discrimination against people with disabilities in Ukraine and what was your personal experience?

– Unfortunately, employment discrimination is not only a problem for people with disabilities. But in my opinion, it is indeed most widespread among this category of people. There are many factors that can be defined as open or hidden discrimination. Everything is clear with open discrimination, but hidden discrimination does pose a problem. A workplace may not be adjusted in terms of accessibility, or there may be no accessible transportation to get to the place of employment where a person with disability can work. There may be discrimination in salary terms, career development, etc. Besides, people with disabilities still underestimate their capabilities. Again, this is primarily due to the inaccessibility of the physical environment and the lack of available information. It is very important to what extent a person is ready to do his or her job and how well it suits him or her, and it is also very important that the employer be interested in creating comfortable working conditions and adjusting the workplace of an employee with a disability so that it is fully accessible. Personally, I’ve been lucky as for my management and colleagues, their understanding and willingness to make our premises more accessible and comfortable.

The full-scale war took many Ukrainians by surprise. Please recall what the first days were like for you.

– Since the outbreak of the war, the acute feeling of anxiety and absolute helplessness was chasing me for a long time, for several weeks, I think.

The frightening and unusual siren sounds and continuous news of shelling and occupation of our cities… Moreover, I could never find an answer why Russia had attacked and whether Russians had really believed in the nonsense of their country’s leaders. Is there really such a lack of critical thinking and do they really believe their propagandists?

Also, why was Ukraine not ready for the invasion? Why didn’t we hear any algorithm of actions in such a situation for people with disabilities at the state level and at the level of the communities we live in? Words of hopelessness came from almost everyone I talked to at that time.

It was the feeling of responsibility for people with disabilities who were ordinary people in their lives and expected at least some information and moral support from me that brought me back to life. Personally, I was psychologically supported at that time by our National Assembly [of People with Disabilities of Ukraine]. This is no exaggeration. It was absolutely the only resource from where I could get not only psychological balance at least for a while, but also truthful information from colleagues in different regions of Ukraine.

Unfortunately, the number of people with disabilities in Ukraine is growing rapidly because of the full-scale war. Tell us about the “Experience for the sake of Help” program.

– This program is designed to help civilians and the military who have suffered spinal cord injuries or lost their limbs due to trauma or gunshot wounds. We share information on personal hygiene products and how to select the right ones, on the design and planning of rooms for living of wheelchair users and the organization of their everyday life, and help with advice on how to avoid pressure ulcers, etc. We also advise on where to get rehabilitation services and how to choose the right rehabilitation equipment and how to use it. Fortunately or not, but there are not so many requests at the moment. Still, requests are coming, and the knowledge that you can be useful to someone is inspiring.

Each of us has a purpose, goal, and dream in life. What are these for you: your purpose, your goal, and your dream?

– My goal is to do everything possible to make our city as physically and informationally adjusted as possible to comfortable living of all people without exception. The goal is to be able to see and realize that our city is becoming friendly to everyone without exception. We are moving in the right direction. It may be slow or even in small steps, but most importantly, we are moving.

And the most important dream at the moment is only one – the victory of Ukraine and the possibility to rebuild our country in a new format where human dignity is supported by a decent life.

Prepared by Tetiana Antonenko

“THE INVINCIBLE LADY” is a series of articles about Ukrainian women and girls that motivate, fascinate, and inspire.

This initiative is part of the project “Empowerment of Women and Girls with Disabilities by Strengthening their Involvement and Leadership in Communities,” which is being implemented by the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine with the support from the UN Women Ukraine and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund.

About the UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF)

The UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund is a unified global financial mechanism designed exclusively to support the participation of women in peace and security building and humanitarian responses. Governed by a range of civil society, governments, and the UN actors, WPHF is a multi-partner trust fund that mobilizes urgently needed funding for local women-led organizations and works together with women on the frontlines to build lasting peace. WPHF has provided funding and supported capacity building for more than 500 local civil society organizations working with the “Women, Peace, and Security” agenda and implementing humanitarian activities in 28 crisis-affected countries.

This publication has been prepared with the financial support from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), but the views and contents expressed herein do not necessarily represent the official endorsement or recognition of the United Nations.