EU Membership
In its work, Fight For Right consistently focuses on integrating EU standards and the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into Ukrainian policies and legislation.
We work to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are not merely declared, but are meaningfully incorporated into Ukraine’s reform processes as part of its European integration.
Fight For Right works to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are not merely declared, but are fully incorporated into Ukraine’s reform processes as part of European integration.
Ukraine is currently at an active stage of accession negotiations with the European Union. It is essential to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are integrated across all areas of reform and properly reflected in assessments of Ukraine’s progress toward EU membership.
Fight For Right is actively building strategic partnerships with representatives of the European Commission, the European External Action Service, and the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine. Through this cooperation, the integration of European standards and approaches to protecting the rights of persons with disabilities is increasingly becoming an integral part of the dialogue on European integration reforms and their monitoring.
We seek to ensure that assessments of Ukraine’s progress toward EU membership include a specific focus on compliance with the rights of persons with disabilities and that the resulting recommendations contribute to systemic change.
Our work covers a broad range of areas:
Analytical Work
Our analytical work on EU law and the comparative analysis of Ukrainian legislation involves systematically assessing whether national legal provisions comply with European and international standards, particularly in the area of disability rights.
We prepare in-depth analytical reports, policy briefs, and recommendations for improving public policy based on our own research, sociological surveys, and law enforcement and implementation practices across European countries.
Advocacy for change is also an important part of this work. Each year, we organize the National Conference of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine, which serves as a platform for discussing key challenges and potential solutions.
Participation in negotiation and thematic working groups
Participation in negotiation and thematic working groups, as well as cooperation with key ministries, enables us to integrate disability rights into decision-making processes. Fight For Right works systematically to ensure that these issues remain at the center of the political agenda throughout Ukraine’s European integration reforms.
In particular, Fight For Right contributes to the work of negotiation groups on Chapter 19, Social Policy and Employment; Chapter 23, Judiciary and Fundamental Rights; and Chapter 28, Consumer and Health Protection. We provide expert support to public authorities, participate in consultations, and promote the implementation of human rights-based approaches.
Conducting advocacy visits and dialogues
We organize meetings with representatives of international organizations and EU institutions to communicate the position of Ukrainian civil society.
Our annual advocacy visit to Brussels, led by the organization’s Chair, Yuliia Sachuk, includes meetings with representatives of EU institutions and aims to strengthen support for disability rights reforms and their integration into European policies.
Implementation of Projects in the Field of European Integration
The implementation of European integration projects spans both the national and international levels. In particular, we carry out initiatives under programs such as Ukraine2EU, with support from the International Renaissance Foundation and other donors.
Participation in European networks and organizations
Active participation in European networks and organizations, including the European Network on Independent Living and the European Disability Forum, facilitates the exchange of experience and the adoption of best practices.
Through this cooperation, we contribute to shaping European disability rights policy and ensure that Ukraine’s context is represented in international discussions.
We believe that genuine European integration is impossible without the full inclusion and equal participation of persons with disabilities. That is why Fight For Right works to ensure that the principle “Nothing About Us Without Us” becomes an integral part of policy and practice at every level of decision-making.
