Nearly four months into the war in Ukraine, and reports are coming out of the country describing the terrible hardship faced by people with learning disabilities and their families. 

The Coalition for the Protection of Rights of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities has written a report called 100 days, describing what the war has been like for people with learning disabilities and their families. 

Many of the services and support for people with learning disabilities ended with the Russian invasion, leaving people isolated and fearful. 

The war has heightened people’s anxiety and stress. Some cannot leave their houses and move into the shelters, so they and their families stay at home during air raids and rocket attacks. Some cannot even evacuate when their town becomes a war zone. Those that do move are often at even greater risk because they cannot travel quickly and easily. 

Vital medicines are often unavailable. More people are having seizures more often. Depression and other mental health conditions have become very common.   

You can read the full report here. 

What has been done 

Donations to Inclusion Europe have exceeded 500,000 euros. This has enabled: 

• Individual cash contributions to 470 Ukrainians with learning disabilities 
• Respite for ten individuals and their families 
• Repairs to buildings used for care and support 
• Hiring personal assistants. 

Organisations from across Europe have also donated money and humanitarian aid directly to the Coalition. 

ENABLE Scotland has been supporting Inclusion Europe in their campaign to help people and families with learning disabilities and complex needs in Ukraine.

But still more needs to be done. 

What can I do? 

You can help to support people with learning disabilities in Ukraine by making a donation via the Inclusion Europe website and the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Emergency Appeal. 

• £30 could provide essential hygiene supplies for three people for one month 
• £50 could provide blankets for four families 
• £100 could provide emergency food for two families for one month 

Donate here 

 What else can I do? 

People across Scotland want to help out Ukrainians who are being forced to flee their homes due to the war. 

For people with learning disabilities and their families, especially those with complex needs, this desperate situation is made all the more difficult. 

Are you a family in Scotland who could provide a home or safe place to live for a person/family of a person with learning disabilities, or a person/family of a person with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities and/or complex needs? 

If you are interested in doing this you can do so through the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor scheme, by clicking the link below:   

Super Sponsor Scheme and Homes for Ukraine: guidance for hosts – gov.scot (www.gov.scot) 

 The matching process allows you to give details about your home including preferences around who you would like to host.   

*Many other countries use the term ‘intellectual disability’. In Scotland we say learning disabilities instead of intellectual disabilities. That is the language we have used here.