The impacts of COVID-19 on Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine (with a particular focus on internally displaced Persons with Disabilities)

The recent comprehensive assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic situation in Ukraine (September 2020) confirms the 'devastating impact of COVID-19 in Ukraine' (UN Ukraine 2020), including a disproportionate impact on the conflict-affected population in eastern Ukraine (5 million) and those in the situation of protracted internal displacement (1.5 million). Among the 1.5 million IDPs, 51,412 were officially registered as having a disability as of September 2020 (ibid.) The most recent report by UN Migration (2019:4) identified that households with PWDs (comprising 12% of all IDP households as of September 2019) were more likely to rely on 'stress strategies' and 'crisis strategies' as a means of survival amid the deteriorating socio-economic situation of IDPs compared to households without PWDs. The proposed research will provide an in-depth qualitative assessment of the multifaceted impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on internally displaced PDWs in Ukraine. We will research and work together, in a participatory and emancipatory manner, with people with disabilities (including those in the situation of protracted internal displacement) and with key stakeholders at the national and regional levels (including government agencies, international, national and regional NGOs led by and/or working with people with disabilities). Recognising the urgency in assessing the impact of the pandemic and the limitations imposed by social distancing measures and travel restrictions, the project will rely on a combination of qualitative research methods (co-designed with the representatives of community organisations led by/working with people with disabilities) to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the intersecting inequalities of (dis)location, disability, gender and age. We will engage with more than one hundred organisations led by/working with PWDs in Ukraine by setting up an online survey to record unique organisational perspectives on the impact of the pandemic and their views on potential strategies for inclusive recovery. To document the impact of the pandemic on the daily lives of internally displaced PWDs, we will undertake a telephone/video-conferencing survey of 300 persons with disabilities and/or their carers from 10 regions of the Ukraine, which host the largest number of internally displaced people. This will be complemented by a system of written and/or audio/video diaries recorded by PWDs over the period of 8 weeks to understand the disrupting impact of the pandemic on their daily lives, and which policy and practical interventions may be urgently required in response. The proposed research programme we enable us to assemble a mosaic of views and opinions of PWDs affected by displacement and those assisting them 'on the ground' to identify existing gaps in the provision of support services within the context of the pandemic, paying attention to its gender dimension. In doing so, the project will provide opportunities for groups to be heard who are often excluded from public debates about wellbeing, displacement and humanitarian/development assistance (particularly those who are the targets of these policies). The project will draw on a unique set of skills and expertise within the context of a multi-disciplinary (disability studies, migration studies, sociology, social policy, wellbeing, demography), multi-partner (three academic institutions, one umbrella NGO representing almost 120 organisations working with/led by PWDs) and multi-country (Ukraine and the UK) research project. It will deliver a range of outputs for specific audiences (research participants, policy-makers, academic audiences, general public), it will make a significant contribution towards developing new research competencies of project partners in Ukraine (including ECRs), and will generate a set of legacy materials (an online repository and a methodological toolkit).