40 civil servants are taking part in the Council of Europe HELP tutored course “Rights of people with disabilities”, which was launched on 12 May 2026 in Kyiv.
Ensuring the independence, social integration, and community participation of people with disabilities is a state priority for Ukraine, aligned with its commitments under the European Social Charter and EU integration path.
To achieve this goal, civil servants are strengthening their knowledge of international and national standards on disability rights, barrier-free environment, and modern approaches to effective interaction.
The HELP training course aims to deepen participants’ knowledge of European standards, helping them apply these in daily work.
During the launching event, participants discussed current challenges in protecting the rights of people with disabilities in Ukraine and received practical recommendations and expert insights from specialists working in the field.
On 25 May 2026, Iryna Tekuchova, Council of Europe national consultant and expert of the Fight for Right NGO, delivered the first webinar for course participants. The webinar focused on models of disability, modern approaches to creating a barrier-free environment, and the use of non-discriminatory language.
The course will last until 12 June under the guidance of tutor Yana Shevtsova, Deputy Director of the Kharkiv Regional Office of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, who adapted the course to Ukrainian legislation and practice.
The course is organised in cooperation with the National School of Judges of Ukraine, the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, and the High School of Public Governance, with the support of the Council of Europe projects “HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) for Ukraine including during wartime” and “Strengthening the social dimension in Ukraine”, implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023-2026.
The HELP course “Rights of Persons with Disabilities” is also available on the HELP Platform in a self-learning format. To date, 27 027 Ukrainian legal professionals have registered on the HELP Platform. Currently, 47 HELP courses are available in Ukrainian on the platform, and the full course catalogue can be accessed via the link
