On 08 October 2026, the public event “Reasonable accommodation: the right that much work” took place in Kyiv. It was devoted to the public presentation of the analytical report on the draft Law of Ukraine No. 14389 “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Fundamentals of Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine’ concerning the Improvement of the Mechanism for Providing Reasonable Accommodation” from the perspective of its compliance with European standards. The report was prepared by Ms Monika Smusz-Kulesza, an international expert of the Council of Europe.
The report focuses on:
- the legal quality and coherence of the draft Law,
- its compliance with international and European standards, including the European Social Charter, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and relevant EU acquis;
- the identification of systemic risks and implementation challenges,
- the formulation of recommendations and possible amendments to improve effectiveness and legal certainty.
The expert assessment highlights the potential of draft Law No. 14389 to bring meaningful improvements to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities to employment in Ukraine. Described as a progressive and comprehensive reform, the draft Law aims to strengthen the right to reasonable accommodation and advance Ukraine’s alignment with European and international standards. Translating these legislative advances into tangible improvements will require clarity in secondary legislation, stronger institutional capacity and consistent human rights-based practice.
The presentation was followed by a discussion on the future reasonable accommodation mechanism, bringing together key decision-makers: the member of the Parliament of Ukraine, representatives of the executive authorities, the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and employers’ organisation. Speakers confirmed that recommendations of the presented analysis will be taken into account when preparing the draft Law for its second reading.
The effective implementation of the right to reasonable accommodation is an obligation of Ukraine under Article 15§2 of the European Social Charter, which guarantees the right of persons with disabilities to employment. According to the conclusions of the European Committee of Social Rights, the situation in Ukraine is not in conformity with Article 15§2 of the Charter, as it has not been established that the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation is effectively guaranteed.
The event was organised by the public union “League of Strong” with the support of the Council of Europe project “Strengthening the Social Dimension in Ukraine”.
The event was also funded with support from UK aid from the UK Government which is implemented by the public union “League of the Strong” as part of the PULSE National Consortium, coordinated by the Right to Protection Charitable Foundation. The UK Government’s support for this project in Ukraine is provided through the SHARP component of its Humanitarian Assistance, Recovery and Protection Programme.
