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News
Accessibility Also Means a State Without Unnecessary Bureaucracy
Mykola Nadulichnyi, Head of the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOPD) and an Accessibility Ambassador of the State Tax Service in Lviv Oblast, took part in a meeting with entrepreneurs focused on supporting businesses affected by Russian attacks. Mykola Nykytiuk, Head of the Main Department of the State Tax Service in Lviv Oblast, presented the mechanisms currently used by the Tax Service to support affected businesses. These include separate identification of such businesses within the Tax Service systems, taking the consequences of attacks into account when assessing tax risks, reducing bureaucracy, revising approaches to tax inspections, and providing individual support to businesses that have suffered critical damage. Special Tax Service hotlines are also available to assist entrepreneurs. In Lviv Oblast, businesses can contact the Tax Consultants Office and its online service points. More information about tax support mechanisms for businesses affected by the war is available here: Tax support mechanisms for war-affected businesses The information is regularly updated. For LAOPD, this issue is directly connected to accessibility. A barrier is not only a staircase without a ramp or an inaccessible entrance. It can also be a complicated procedure, unclear information, dozens of documents to collect, or a situation in which a person is left to find a solution to their problem on their own. Especially when it comes to those who have already suffered because of the war. Public services should become simpler, clearer, and more accessible to everyone. Supporting businesses that have survived attacks and destruction is one of the areas where this principle must work not only in words, but in practice. Fewer barriers mean more opportunities to recover, work, and move forward.
17.09.2026
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News
Support Should Be Accessible - and Easy to Understand
When a person faces difficult life circumstances, it is crucial not to be left alone with their problems. This is especially true for internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been forced by the war to leave their homes and rebuild their lives in a new place. As part of the “Inclusive Accommodation and Protection of Vulnerable IDPs in Kharkiv Oblast” project, the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOPD), together with its partners, provides free assistance and support to IDPs in Kharkiv Oblast. Depending on individual needs, people can receive case management in difficult life situations, legal and psychological assistance, support with restoring documents, help with everyday needs and mobility, targeted financial assistance in critical cases, as well as referrals to essential services. Our partners also provide assistance with evacuation and transportation, accompaniment to transit centers, protection of rights, social services, and essential items. Not sure where to start or whom to contact? Call us. We will help you navigate the available options and find the support that meets your specific needs. LAOPD: +380 66 166 26 19 +380 97 558 47 40 LAOOI@UKR.NET Community Development Fund: 0 800 448 915 International Rescue Committee (IRC): 0 800 337 132 Save these contacts and share this post. Someone you know may need this information right now. The “Inclusive Accommodation and Protection of Vulnerable IDPs in Kharkiv Oblast” project is implemented by a consortium comprising the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOPD), the Community Development Fund NGO, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), with support from Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
16.09.2026
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Events
We Keep Learning - and Now We Have Knowledge to Share
Recently, the team at the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities has had a very busy training schedule. Trainings, practical sessions, knowledge exchange, new approaches and tools — our specialists are constantly developing their skills and expertise. Last week, our team was learning simultaneously in two cities — Kharkiv and Odesa. In Kharkiv , part of our team took part in the training “Key Competencies in Child Protection and Psychosocial Support in the Humanitarian Sector.” The programme covered minimum child protection standards, case management, psychological first aid, referrals, and ensuring children’s access to the support they need. In Odesa , another part of our team completed a four-day PCMIMS+ training — a system for managing and documenting protection cases. The training included extensive practical work: protection risk assessment, case management planning, referrals and follow-up, working with cases in the system, supervision, case closure, and data management. This is particularly important to us because behind every such tool there are not simply tables, forms, or algorithms. There are real people — and the quality of support they receive depends on how well these tools are used. There is another important aspect, too. Our specialists are increasingly becoming not only participants in such trainings, but also speakers and experts. Over the years, the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities has accumulated significant practical experience in inclusion, protection, accessibility, and support for vulnerable groups. Today, we are not only gaining knowledge — we also have valuable experience to share with our colleagues. Learning, exchanging experience, testing new approaches in practice, and passing our own knowledge on to others — this is how our team grows, and with it, the quality of our work. We are grateful to our partners for providing these opportunities for learning and professional development. Because a strong team is a team that never stops learning.
14.09.2026
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News
When Help Is Literally in Your Blood
Today, the team of the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOPD) joined the “Rotary Saves Lives” Blood Donor Day in Kharkiv. Blood donation is one of those cases where just a few minutes of your time can give someone a chance to recover, undergo a vital operation, or sometimes — quite literally — a chance to live. Especially now, during the war, the need for donated blood remains constant. We believe there are many ways to help: through our work, knowledge, volunteering, and supporting others. And another way is to become a blood donor, if your health allows. Today, a mark representing LAOPD was added to the symbolic donor board. Behind each such drop is more than just 450 ml of donated blood. It may represent a life saved. We thank the organizers of this initiative and everyone who donated blood in Kharkiv today. Because sometimes, to make a big difference, all you need to do is simply extend your arm.
11.09.2026
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Articles
Аccessibility at Events: What Organizers Need to Consider
When organizing conferences, forums, training sessions, or other public events, we often see the same mistake: accessibility is reduced to the presence of individual technical solutions. There is a ramp or a lift — so the venue is considered accessible. In reality, this is only one of many elements. The recent experience of Mykola Nadulichnyi, Head of the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOPD), at Urban Mobility Forum 2026 in Lviv once again demonstrated that problems arise when organizers fail to consider the participant’s entire barrier-free journey. A person should be able to independently: • find the registration desk and the appropriate conference room; • move between different levels and areas of the venue; • access up-to-date information about the programme; • use restrooms, catering areas, and other facilities; • have access to a comfortable place to rest; • receive information in accessible formats. It is equally important to consider the needs of people with hearing and visual impairments. Visual duplication of information, Ukrainian Sign Language interpretation, clear navigation, and solutions that enable independent orientation should be planned before the event begins — not after a participant has already encountered a barrier. Another important principle: staff assistance cannot replace accessibility. It is good to have someone nearby who is ready to help. But a participant should not have to repeatedly ask someone to lift them, guide them, bring them a cup of coffee, or explain where they need to go. Accessibility means being able to remain as independent as possible. That is why accessibility should be planned just as carefully as the event programme, stage, catering, or communications. Because inclusion does not begin with words written in a forum programme. It begins with the experience of the person who comes to that forum.
09.09.2026
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News
From Launch to Joint Action: Project Partners Hold Kick-Off Meeting to Support IDPs
The team of the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities took part in the kick-off meeting of partners implementing the new humanitarian project, “Integrated Protection, Health Assistance and Inclusion for Vulnerable Newly Displaced Persons, Internally Displaced Persons and Other Particularly Vulnerable Population Groups in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk Regions.” The project is already underway, so the meeting focused primarily on how the partners will work together in the coming months. Representatives of the partner organizations introduced their teams and areas of work and discussed in detail the project components, division of responsibilities, and mechanisms for coordination and cooperation. Particular attention was paid to practical matters, including coordination of activities within communities, administrative and financial procedures, as well as the safety of teams working in regions where the security situation remains challenging. An important part of the meeting was sharing experience from previous joint initiatives. The partners discussed which approaches have already proven effective, what lessons should be taken into account, and how to make assistance even more accessible to people who need it. For the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, meetings like this are, above all, an opportunity to align the partners’ work from the very beginning, so that each area of activity functions as part of a single coordinated mechanism and the necessary support reaches people in communities in a timely manner. The agreements have been documented, responsibilities defined, and the teams are ready to move forward. The next step is to implement the planned activities directly in the communities. The project is supported by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) and implemented by the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOPD) and Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS).
08.09.2026
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Articles
OR NOW — YES. BUT WE WANT TO DOCUMENT THIS “BEFORE.”
This is what some of the premises in temporary accommodation sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Kharkiv region currently look like. These sites have been selected to participate in our new project. Outdated bathrooms. Narrow doorways. Worn-out facilities. A lack of proper conditions for persons with disabilities and other people with reduced mobility. In one of the photos, wheelchairs can be seen in the corridor. Right next to them are bathrooms that a wheelchair user would find virtually impossible to use independently. And these are not simply photographs of facilities that have long been in need of renovation. These are the conditions in which people are living today — people who have already been forced to leave their own homes because of the war. We are sorry that IDPs have to live in such conditions. But that is exactly why we are here. We are deliberately documenting this “BEFORE” — because concrete changes are ahead. At four selected temporary accommodation sites in Kharkiv, we plan to carry out works to improve accessibility and safety. These include renovating and adapting bathrooms to meet the needs of people with reduced mobility, widening doorways, replacing entrance and interior doors, installing ramps and handrails, removing thresholds, and adapting entrances and common areas. Where necessary, specialized equipment will also be installed. This is not about simply repainting the walls and taking nice photographs. Our goal is to make sure that a person can enter the building independently, move around it, use the bathroom, and feel safer and more dignified in the place that is currently their home. So we are leaving these images here. As our “BEFORE.” And later, we will definitely show you the “AFTER.” We want the difference to be more than just visually striking in photographs — we want people to feel it in their everyday lives. The project “Inclusive Accommodation and Protection of Vulnerable IDPs in the Kharkiv Region” is implemented by the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities with the support of the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
07.09.2026
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News
Support That’s Close at Hand: LAOOI Launches Work on Another New Project
Support should not only be accessible on paper. It should be something people can actually access and use — regardless of disability, age, mobility, or life circumstances. Recently, LAOOI began working within the project “Integrated Protection, Healthcare and Inclusion for Vulnerable Newly Displaced Persons, Internally Displaced Persons and Other Particularly Vulnerable Groups in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk Oblasts.” Our role is to help overcome the specific barriers that prevent people from accessing the services or support they need. As part of the project, LAOOI provides: ⚖️ Legal counselling — support with documents and applications, social benefits and entitlements, inheritance, housing, land and property issues, disability status determination, and protection of rights. 🚐 Inclusive transportation — for people who, due to disability, age, or reduced mobility, are unable to independently reach a hospital, social service, administrative institution, or another essential destination. The specialized vehicle is equipped with a wheelchair lift. ♿ Adaptive devices and assistive products — wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, bathroom and toilet aids, and other essential items tailored to each person’s individual needs. LAOOI’s team will also conduct training on inclusion and accessibility for representatives of local authorities, social and healthcare institutions, civil society organizations, and other service providers. Services are available in designated districts of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts , while assistive products are also available at transit centres in Pavlohrad, Voloske, and Zaporizhzhia . Our goal is simple: no one should be left alone to face barriers. People should be able to get where they need to go. Receive support. Access services. Protect their rights. Because support should not be somewhere far away. Support close at hand. The project is supported by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) and implemented by the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOOI) and Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS) .
01.09.2026
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News
The Time for Transformation Has Come: Changes Begin at 4 Collective Sites in Kharkiv
The time for transformation has come: the first 4 collective sites in Kharkiv have been selected to participate in the project “Inclusive Accommodation and Protection of Vulnerable IDPs in Kharkiv Oblast” We are moving from plans to concrete changes. As part of the new project “Inclusive Accommodation and Protection of Vulnerable IDPs in Kharkiv Oblast,” four collective sites in Kharkiv have already been selected. Memoranda of Cooperation have been signed with them, marking the beginning of the practical implementation phase. The photos show the collective sites as they are today. Some already have ramps, but these still need to be assessed in terms of their actual usability and safety. In other locations, accessibility remains limited, while stairs and other barriers continue to make mobility difficult. That is why the next step is a comprehensive assessment of each of the four sites, covering physical, informational, and organizational accessibility, as well as the needs of the people living there. Based on the assessment results, specific recommendations and adaptation plans will be developed. And, of course, the changes will not be limited to the exterior — improvements are also planned inside the buildings. The next stage will bring practical changes: adapting entrances, sanitary and hygiene facilities, and common areas; installing essential accessibility features; and providing specialized equipment. At the same time, residents will be able to receive informational, legal, psychosocial, and individualized support. The memoranda have been signed. The sites have been selected. The time for transformation has come. And we will definitely show you what these places look like after the changes. The project “Inclusive Accommodation and Protection of Vulnerable IDPs in Kharkiv Oblast” is implemented by the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities with the support of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and IRC Deutschland . Можу також зробити більш «донорську» англійську версію — у стилі комунікацій IRC/міжнародних гуманітарних організацій.
31.08.2026
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News
NEW LAOOI PROJECT: MAKING ACCOMMODATION FOR IDPs MORE ACCESSIBLE AND SAFER
We are beginning a new stage of our work and an important new partnership. The Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOOI) is implementing the project “Inclusive Accommodation and Protection of Vulnerable IDPs in Kharkiv Region” with the support of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). People are at the heart of this project. Internally displaced persons, including persons with disabilities and other people with limited mobility living in collective accommodation sites, for whom accessibility and safety should not be a formality, but a real part of everyday life. At the selected collective accommodation sites, we will conduct a comprehensive assessment of physical, informational, and organizational accessibility and identify residents’ needs. This will be followed by practical improvements, including adapting entrances, sanitary and hygiene facilities, and common areas; installing ramps and handrails; and providing specialized equipment. But this project is not only about improving facilities. Residents will be able to receive individual support, case management, legal and psychosocial assistance, assistive devices, and, in certain critical cases, targeted cash assistance. The project also includes accessible information materials, meetings on rights and available support, as well as referrals to other specialized services. For LAOOI, this project is another opportunity to put into practice what we have emphasized for years: accessibility should be measured not by words, but by tangible changes that people can experience in their everyday lives. We thank the International Rescue Committee (IRC) for its trust and this new partnership. There is a great deal of work ahead. And the main result we are striving for is to ensure that people who have been forced to leave their homes because of the war can live in dignified, accessible, and safe conditions.
27.08.2026
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News
LAOOI: We work where we are needed most today
We Work Where Help Is Needed Most The Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities has received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Sloviansk City Military Administration for its dedicated civic, charitable, and volunteer work, the implementation of important social projects, and its contribution to supporting the community. For us, this recognition is first and foremost about trust and responsibility. We work where help is truly needed. Where people are facing the greatest challenges. Where many are being forced to leave because of the security situation. Sloviansk was recently designated as an active combat zone. Yet people remain in the city. Among them are persons with disabilities, older people, and families who need support. And we will not leave them behind. We will continue our work, providing support, assistance, and staying by their side for as long as we are able. We thank the Sloviansk City Military Administration for this recognition of our work. This Certificate of Appreciation is another reminder of who we work for.
26.08.2026
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Events
The First Training in Ukraine on Countering Technology-Facilitated Violence
Our colleague took part in Ukraine’s first specialized training on understanding, identifying, and countering technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). Over the course of two days, participants explored today’s digital safety challenges, learned to recognize emerging forms of online violence, and became familiar with practical tools for supporting survivors. For the Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (LAAOI), participation in trainings like this is an important opportunity to strengthen our team’s expertise and integrate modern approaches into our work to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. We sincerely thank the International Rescue Committee (IRC) for organizing this important training and for providing the opportunity to contribute to the development of safer digital environments and stronger standards for online safety.
27.07.2026
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