October 21-23, 2024, Lviv Oblast – Around 30 representatives from local governments, medical institutions, and the civil sector of 12 communities from Zakarpattia, Lviv, Volyn, Poltava, Zhytomyr, and Odesa regions participated in a study visit to leading rehabilitation institutions in Ukraine. This visit was part of the USAID HOVERLA Activity and the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine’s (NARD) efforts to improve access to inclusive medical and rehabilitation services in communities during wartime.

In Lviv, the communities explored the largest rehabilitation center in Ukraine called UNBROKEN, which provides medical, physical, and psychological rehabilitation services to people affected by war and other circumstances. The center’s specialists shared the journey their patients go through, highlighted the center’s priority areas, and explained how they attract funding for development through grants and international projects. The participants saw firsthand the state-of-the-art equipment used for veterans' recovery, the living accommodations, and how prosthetics are fabricated.

Ihor Yesin, Head of the Social Protection Department of the Korosten City Council, was impressed by the comprehensive support system for veterans, from administrative formalities to the completion of rehabilitation:

"For our community, this is especially relevant, as we are working to equip our rehabilitation department at the Korosten Hospital. Considering the challenges posed by the war, our aim is to provide not only the necessary equipment but also specialists with the right approach to patient care. If, for example, the UNBROKEN center has 10 psychologists or art therapists, then in our city, we must have at least one such specialist. Thanks to HOVERLA, we will transfer this system to our small towns."

Iryna Oleha, First Deputy Mayor of Brody, emphasized the importance of barrier-free spaces and specialists working with physical and psychological trauma.

"In this center, we saw wide corridors, sliding doors, accessible wards, kitchens, etc. The practices we observed should form the basis for the rehabilitation department in our community. We also understand that we need to engage more psychologists who can work not only with military personnel but also with their families, as there is a high demand for psychological support."

In addition, the participants visited the Halychyna rehabilitation center in the village of Velykyi Liubin and the Assistive Technology Hub in Lviv, where they explored innovative technologies for supporting people with disabilities.

On the third day of the visit, the participants attended a seminar on inclusive medical and rehabilitation services in communities. They reviewed a questionnaire for conducting public oversight in this area and discussed the framework of roadmaps for access to quality medical services for people with disabilities, which communities are developing with experts. These roadmaps will help communities develop their inclusive policies.

In addition to the study visits, as part of the collaboration between HOVERLA and NARD, the 12 communities (Mizhhiria, Irshava, Brody, Zhovkva, Dykanka, Lubny, Korosten, Zviahel, Balta, Kodyma, Rozhyshche, and Kivertsi) will later create dedicated positions for inclusion specialists and receive sets of rehabilitation and office equipment.

The USAID HOVERLA Activity supports the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development in strengthening the capacity and self-sufficiency of Ukrainian communities.