Rehabilitation center in Mykolaiv: how the war affected services for children with disabilities

As of the beginning of 2025, more than 2,300 children with disabilities live in Mykolaiv. Due to the consequences of the war, opportunities for rehabilitation, education, and creating a barrier-free environment for them remain limited. Representatives of social services and city authorities emphasize the need to improve conditions.

This was reported by the Suspilne media outlet.

Thanks to the initiative of the volunteers of the Volunteer International Foundation UA, supported by the Caritas Ukraine project, a playground adapted for children with disabilities was created in the Heart of the City park. A two-story sandbox, a carousel, and a swing designed for children in wheelchairs were installed here.

Volunteer Mila Yurchenko notes that the elements were ordered from other regions at the expense of the project in the amount of UAH 150 thousand, and transportation, which cost UAH 100 thousand, was financed separately. The playground was installed by employees of the SEZ Pilot utility company. However, the city still lacks ramps and other barrier-free facilities.

According to Roman Kraynik, director of the Rehabilitation Center, they face difficulties due to the lack of shelters. That's why the children are being taught individually. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of rehabilitated children has decreased from 175 to 60.

To support children in schools and kindergartens, there are ten social workers who accompany children to school. However, their number meets only 30% of the requests. According to the director of the Department of Labor and Social Protection, Serhiy Vasylenko, a second shift is planned to be organized to reduce the queues for rehabilitation services.

According to the NGO Dostupno.UA, in 2021, Mykolaiv ranked 13th among 16 large Ukrainian cities in terms of barrier-free accessibility. In 2024, the city authorities adopted the Mykolaiv Without Barriers program for two years, but its implementation needs to be improved.

A project aimed at creating a barrier-free environment for all city residents has recently been launched in Mykolaiv. Particular attention is paid to the arrangement of public places, including buildings belonging to the justice and social protection systems. As part of this initiative, approximately 20 ramps and other devices are planned to be installed by July 2025 to improve the accessibility of urban space for people with disabilities, elderly citizens and parents with strollers.

In early December, an inclusive playground was built near a shelter in Mykolaiv Oblast. It has become not only a place to play, but also a center for various events. The playground is adapted for everyone, including children with disabilities.

As part of the Mykolaiv Without Barriers program, it is planned to allocate about half a million hryvnias to organize recreation for people with special needs at an inclusive beach in Odesa. These funds are included in the updated program budget for 2024-2026. Recreation services will be procured through tender procedures.

Анна Бальчінос