Support That’s Close at Hand: LAOOI Launches Work on Another New Project

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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

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

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