The National Assembly of People with Disabilities has appealed to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine not to adopt draft law No. 5651-2, which provides for changes in the area of travel benefits and other social guarantees.

Why this is a cause for concern

Experts emphasise that the proposed changes could lead to a reduction in the existing rights of persons with disabilities, pensioners, victims of the Chernobyl disaster, and other socially vulnerable groups.

In particular, the draft law provides for the transfer of funding for subsidised transport to local budgets without clearly defined sources of funding. In real terms, this creates the risk that communities will simply be unable to provide uninterrupted and accessible transport.

The consequences are obvious:

• reduction or abolition of subsidised transport;
• restriction of mobility for people for whom transport is a basic need, not a convenience;
• increased social tension and inequality between communities.

For LAOPD, this situation is yet another reminder: legislative changes should strengthen social guarantees, not shift responsibility without resources and clear implementation mechanisms.

Transport accessibility is not a bonus or a privilege.

It is a prerequisite for a dignified life, access to healthcare, work, education and social participation.

We insist that inclusiveness and equal access to services must remain inviolable principles of public policy, even — and especially — in times of war.