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Steps That Speak:

Rehabilitation and Disability Inclusion
іn Healthcare and Beyond

One more step –

no more barriers

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With thanks to our partners for their cooperation and support

Steps that speak

Rehabilitation and Disability Inclusion in Healthcare and Beyond

Rehabilitation is not only about restoring lost functions. It is about enabling people to learn, work, move freely, make their own decisions and be part of their communities.
Inclusion means having the opportunity to live independently, have a voice and realise one’s potential.

Every photograph tells a person’s story. And every step is part of their journey towards independence.

A man in a wheelchair next to an accessible vehicle
A smiling man in workwear
An occupational therapist assisting a rehabilitation exercise
Young people during a group therapy session
A man in a wheelchair on an equipped training course

People’s stories: A path without barriers

A woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, wearing black glasses and a printed tank top, with a smartwatch on her wrist. Anna is taking a selfie against a backdrop of flowers, holding her smartphone at arm’s length.
One more skill
One step closer to independence
Anna Solovei
Self-advocate, participant in the Personal Assistant project, and Chair of the Self-Advocates Council.
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A woman with light brown hair, wearing a white medical coat over blue scrubs and a stethoscope. Alla is standing in a hospital corridor surrounded by medical facilities, reaching down to pet a dog that has run up to greet her.
One more trained team
One more patient’s victory
Alla Pivnyk
Head of the Rehabilitation Department at the Centre of Excellence, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Physician, Dnipro
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A young woman with brown hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing dark blue medical scrubs. A man using a wheelchair is beside Olha as they walk together through the grounds of a healthcare facility.
One more “I can do it”
One more "we did it"
Olha Shulha
Occupational Therapist at the Center of Excellence, Dnipro
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A young man with short light brown hair and a short reddish beard, wearing a dark blue polo shirt. Illia is crouching inside a rehabilitation centre, beside a patient who is performing an exercise.
One more patient’s step
My personal thrill
Illia Hrytsiuk
Physical therapist at the Center of Excellence, Dnipro
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A young man with short dark hair and light stubble, wearing a black T-shirt and checked shorts, with a tattoo on his arm. Stanislav is standing in a spacious rehabilitation room, supporting himself on a walking frame after getting up from his wheelchair.
One more day feeling positive
And I stand, and I don't fall!
Stanislav Riabukha
Patient at the Rehabilitation Center of Excellence in Dnipro, opera vocal instructor at the Dnipro Academy of Music
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A woman with blonde hair tied back in a low ponytail, wearing round glasses and dark blue medical scrubs. Kateryna is sitting in a chair in an office, smiling broadly.
One more “I don’t know how”
One more “we’ll figure it out”
Kateryna Sosnytska
Social worker and psychologist at the Rehabilitation Center of Excellence, Dnipro
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A man with short dark hair and no beard, with fair skin and brown eyes, wearing a grey work jacket over a black T-shirt. Vadym is standing in a back room and smiling at the camera.
One more paycheck
Another proof of my independence
Vadym Binnatov
Resident of the Supported Living House of the Kolping Family in Vinnytsia, assistant stockkeeper at a confectionery factory
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A man with short light brown hair, wearing dark glasses and a beige shirt. Oleksandr is preparing a dish at a table, leaning over the work surface.
One more workday
One day closer to my dream car
Oleksandr Paiuk
Resident of the Supported Living House of the Kolping Family in Vinnytsia, confectionery factory assistant and courier
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A young woman with shoulder-length light blonde hair, wearing a plain red T-shirt. Tetiana is sitting in front of a laptop and gesturing animatedly during a lesson, with an interactive smartboard visible behind her.
One more step
And opening a mini-school becomes a reality
Tetiana Holyboroda
English language teacher and founder of a mini-school of English for autistic children and adults
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A young man with shoulder-length dark brown hair and a fringe, wearing a light-coloured shirt and a green apron, with a smartwatch on his wrist. Ihor smiles broadly as he prepares ingredients for a dish in a kitchen.
One more "I can't do it"
And Iʼll say, "Let's do it together"
Ihor Duka
Perhaps Assistant for People with Disabilities
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A middle-aged man with a shaved head and short beard, wearing a grey T-shirt and dark trousers, with a black smartwatch on his wrist. Andrii is smiling at the camera while sitting in a wheelchair in an urban courtyard surrounded by apartment buildings.
One more “I want”
And I'm off fishing
Andrii Shcherbatskyi
Occupational Therapy Assistant, Social Worker, and Active Rehabilitation Instructor
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A woman with short dark brown hair, wearing grey-brown medical scrubs over a white T-shirt, with a stethoscope around her neck. Olha is standing beside a car and talking to another woman, holding a pen and a phone in her hands. Greenery in a park is visible in the background.
One more consultation
One more patient given hope
Olha Ishchenko
Family Doctor at the Teplyk Primary Healthcare Center
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A young woman with long dark blonde hair, wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts. A grey cat is perched on Oleksandra’s shoulder, while greenery surrounds her in a garden behind the house.
One more habit today
Confident action tomorrow
Oleksandra Sapozhnyk
Participant in the Supported Living Program
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Чоловік середніх років; має коротке світло-русяве волосся і коротку бороду, одягнений у світло-зелену футболку і темно-сині штани. Віталій сидить у кріслі колісному на пандусі, виїжджаючи з відкритих дверей адаптованого автомобіля.
One more barrier
One more reason to tear it down
Vitalii Pcholkin
Executive Director of the Active Rehabilitation Group, barrier-free activist
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A woman with long dark hair, wearing a light grey blazer and a grey V-neck blouse. Tetiana is smiling as she shakes hands with someone off camera, holding an accessibility guidebook in her other hand.
Fewer barriers
More people living freely
Tetiana Lomakina
Advisor-Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Society Issues
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WHO in Ukraine

Changing the system

90%

of Ukraine’s oblasts supported with rehabilitation services

36 000+

rehabilitation equipment and assistive devices delivered to 71 health-care facilities, reaching approximately 656,000 people

71
Healthcare facility
656 000
people

SYSTEM AND WORKFORCE
ESTABLISHED:

3

Clinical Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Training Centers of Excellence

1

National Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Rivne

2 800+

health professionals trained across 90+ facilities

Accessibility and independence

6

supported living pilot projects funded across Kyiv, Lviv and Vinnytsia oblasts

78

adults participated in supported living pilots

300+

professionals trained in wheelchair assessment and provision

Personal Assistance Service Standard

developed to support integration into national policy and regulations

Accessibility policy

Draft Law advanced to a third edition, aligned with international disability rights standards and European Union accessibility directives

Accessibility standards

updated, with guidance on home adaptation and social services developed and officially published