On October 17, 2025, a very important and relevant event was held in Kyiv, which was organized by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) - a round table "Prioritizing advocacy topics for people with disabilities acquired as a result of war." The event took the form of panel discussions and working discussions of the proposed initiatives. 

The head of the charitable organization CF "Development and Social Justice of Ukraine" and human rights activist Olga Ridna also took part. The purpose of such practical events is to exchange the experience of those who work with victims, collect and analyze information about the needs and problems of victims, and develop effective mechanisms - in order to improve the system of assistance to those who have been injured or maimed by explosive objects. 

Meetings of such working groups and discussions between those who work directly with victims “in the fields” allow us to develop proposals for changes in legislation and existing assistance programs - so that the rights of victims are realized, and people receive the benefits and types of assistance to which they are entitled. Human rights activists from various international and national non-governmental organizations are tirelessly and systematically working to simplify procedures, timely and complete receipt of assistance. 

Experts from public and charitable organizations joined the round table “Prioritization of advocacy topics for persons with disabilities acquired as a result of war”. Very relevant issues were raised, such as the unification of the statuses of “disability due to war” and “disability due to the action of explosive objects” (which is why victims currently do not enjoy many benefits and opportunities), the elimination of employment barriers and ensuring equal access to work for people with disabilities (which is very relevant in our time, when the number of people with acquired disabilities is rapidly growing). The issues of the need to involve victims in advocacy and decision-making, the recognition of disability due to war in temporarily occupied territories, and others were also raised. The issue raised by 

Olga Ridna in her speech concerned free medical services and obtaining medicines for civilian victims of explosive objects. Currently, a big problem is that in real life, medical services and medicines for the wounded are not free. Victims who have received serious injuries and disabilities are forced to seek treatment at their own expense, to look for funds to purchase expensive drugs and medicines in order to restore their health and/or maintain a normal state of health. Some of them need long-term and expensive treatment, which requires a lot of money, which, in most cases, people do not have. According to the victims, during the first hospitalization, people receive free medical services and medicines, and then, during repeated hospitalizations, they are already forced to be treated at their own expense or turn to international non-governmental organizations for material support. In medical institutions, people pay for operations themselves (to remove fragments from the body, internal organs or head, install plates, etc.), and also buy medicines and rehabilitation aids at their own expense. And such a need for severely injured people stretches for years. And if a person does not have money for treatment, then their health can significantly deteriorate, the result of which can be disability, which could have been avoided. Due to the lack of treatment due to lack of funds, the emotional state of a person also deteriorates, this situation negatively affects all spheres of life. 

At the event “Prioritization of advocacy topics for people with disabilities acquired as a result of war”, practical working discussions of the issues raised in the panel discussions were also held. All participants discussed the possibility of implementing the initiatives proposed by the panelists and ways to achieve them. Priority areas were selected in which the working group will work in the coming weeks.

 It is very pleasing that representatives of non-governmental organizations, those who work in the fields directly with victims, with people with disabilities, can share their experience, talk about what exactly needs to be changed in the current system, in existing programs and legislation so that people can quickly receive assistance, be informed about their opportunities and benefits, and so that they can exercise their rights to receive social, medical and other types of assistance from the state and other institutions