This year has been unusual, unexpected, and full of various emotions. It was not just about your own life or the lives of your loved ones, it was about the life of the country where I live.

From the day the war started, there was a keen sense of anxiety and absolute helplessness that would not leave us for a long time, probably for weeks.

Terrifying and unfamiliar sounds of air-raid sirens, constant news about shellings and occupation of our cities and towns… And what more, I was trying and failing to understand why Russia attacked us. Did Russians really believe the nonsense their leaders kept feeding them? Are they indeed so incapable of critical thinking and believed the lies of their propaganda?

Added to that was the question why Ukraine appeared to be so little prepared for the invasion? Why the authorities in Poltava city and region had not put in place an action plan for people with disabilities for such emergency situations. In any case, we knew nothing about such a plan. And we still don’t. The city accessibility committee met shortly before the war broke out and sent letters to the chair of the committee with their suggestions on emergency alert system, evacuation and supports for people with disabilities. And nothing, no response…

What kept me going was the duty of care for people with disabilities who had lived their ordinary lives and were now looking at me for any information and moral support.

I personally was supported by our National Assembly of People with Disabilities. And I don’t exaggerate here. Basically, they were the only resource that helped you to regain your mental balance, at least for some time, and get reliable information from colleagues based in different regions.

Sadly, over the entire period of war, we haven’t seen a clear and easy-to-understand process to provide help, ensure accessible and timely information for persons with disabilities about evacuation or accessible temporary accommodation, or to fit out bomb shelters and warming posts with accessibility features.

The first full-scale blackout was another litmus test of the attitude of the authorities to challenges faced by people with disabilities. They were left alone without telephone or other kinds of communication, without water and heating. Nothing was heard from the mayor, apart from his messages urging city residents to be thoughtful of others, their less mobile neighbours. But even these messages came too late. Even the list of water sprouts, where one might be able to get some water in the city, was outdated. The listed water sprouts either no longer existed or the keys to them were nowhere to find.

Still, I should acknowledge the leadership of Poltava regional authorities for health and social services, as well as the Social Security Fund for People with Disabilities that always responded to urgent concerns.

Today, similar to the start of the war, a person in critical situation can rely only on family, close friends and neighbours for support. This is particularly hard for those people with disabilities, irrespective of the severity of the disablement, whose relatives are far away.

The aid from non-governmental organizations such as food packages, medicines, hygiene items unfortunately fails to reach everybody for various subjective and objective reasons. For example, not everyone may be informed about the aid, not everyone is a member of a disability organization, or such aid may be aimed for people with a specific disability, etc. People with disabilities living in rural areas may be struggling not only because they can’t afford to heat their house properly, buy the necessary food supplies or medicines, but also due to the lack of smooth communication and timely information that can be life-saving.

Iryna. Poltava, Ukraine