In framework of permanent cooperation with United Nations bodies and structures our Association informed in 2024 the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for its next thematic report on the rights of persons with disabilities and digital technologies and devices, including assistive technologies to be presented at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in March, 2025 in compliance with Council resolution 55/8.
ARC’s submission, prepared by Dr. Borys Babin and published at official UN web-sources now, reminded that Ukrainian persons with disabilities face the fundamental challenges, connected with Russian aggression, in access to the systems of services and support for such people, including digital issues. Association stressed, that a lot of persons, including persons with disabilities and their relatives, who tried to evacuate themselves from conflict zone, were killed or kidnapped by Russians as “non-loyal” ones, and that Russian troops blocked since 2022 the humanitarian corridors established to evacuate civil population, including persons with disabilities from hostilities zones and occupied territories and blocked any information about it.
So thousands of Ukrainians, including persons with disabilities lost their houses and access to medical and social services, including digital services, due to Russian aggression and related hostilities, ARC’ submission added. Submission stressed that Russian attacks against Ukrainian non-combatants, including medic and social personnel and against Ukrainian civil infrastructure have features of Russia’s state terrorism and that it made a strong negative influence on realization of the rights of persons with disabilities, including digitalization issues.
ARC’s submission added that such Russian illegal activities the Crimea and other Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine violate brutally the demands of Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the UN Security Council resolution 2475, UN General Assembly resolution 78/195 and mentioned UN Human Rights Council resolution 55/8.
ARC’s submission stressed on example of Russian aggression against Ukraine described, that issues of illegal activities of mercenaries, paramilitary structures, militaristic and racist propaganda against persons with disabilities in conflict zones and zones of foreign effective control must be reflected in UN OHCHR report, also as issues of disinformation, hate speech, racial discrimination and genocidal policy against persons with disabilities, especially belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples, in conflict zones and zones of foreign effective control, including digital issues.
