Throughout November 2025, the Council of Europe’s Project “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of the Armed Forces in Ukraine” conducted five awareness-raising information sessions on accessibility in the security and defence sector. The sessions were attended by representatives of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (MoD) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (MoIA) who are directly involved in accompanying, informing, and providing support to service members and veterans with disabilities. Each session gathered up to 50 participants, engaging around 250 specialists in total.
The information sessions consisted of two main parts: one explaining Ukrainian legislation and international standards protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, including key Council of Europe, UN, and national legal instruments relevant to veterans and service members. The second part introduced inclusive practices and effective communication with veterans and servicepersons with disabilities, covering concepts of accessibility, stereotypes, respectful interaction, and practical guidance for supporting individuals with different types of impairments.
These information sessions complemented a more in-depth training series for MoD representatives entitled “Inclusivity in the Security and Defence Sector: Barrier-Free and Trauma-Sensitive Communication with Military Personnel and Veterans with Disabilities.” Two such trainings have already been conducted in August and October 2025, with a final session planned for November.
These efforts contribute to the development of comprehensive policies and implementation practices that ensure equal participation of veterans and military personnel with disabilities in all spheres of life. This involves removing architectural, informational, social barriers, and ensuring accessible services and equality of opportunity.
The information sessions were organised under the Council of Europe Project “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine,” a component of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023-2026).
