Article in the Journal

13.2.2025

The journal Social Science special issues Health and Migration Challenges for Forced Migrations published an article by the associate professor of the Social Work Department, Educational and Research Institute of Health Care and Sports. 

The article of the Associate Professor of the Social Work Department, Educational and Research Institute of Health Care and Sports Kateryna Volodymyrivna Ihnatenko  “Barriers to Social Service Access for Ukrainian Refugees with Disabilities in Georgia: Outreach and Communication” was published in the journal Social Science special issues Health and Migration Challenges for Forced Migrations.

The journal is indexed in SCOPUS and has an impact factor of 1.7, citescore of 2.6.

The article is in open access and is available at https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/2/95

The article is the result of Kateryna Volodymyrivna’s research “Identify effective pathways to reach children and adults among Ukrainian refugees in Georgia”, which was conducted in Georgia since 2023 within the framework of a personal scholarship provided by the MSCA4Ukraine support program (European Union).

Persons with disabilities constantly face certain risks and challenges during armed conflict, regardless of geographical location or type of conflict. Those who manage to escape the fighting face obstacles in accessing short- and long-term humanitarian and assistance services. Armed conflict also often exacerbates existing violations and leads to secondary violations, especially for children with disabilities and people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities (UNICEF 2022). The loss or damage of basic infrastructure during armed conflict exacerbates existing obstacles to access to critical services (WHO 2023).

Since the start of the Russian military offensive on 24 February 2022, over 8 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries, with all EU countries offering temporary protection, and another 5.3 million people have been displaced within the country (UNHCR 2023). According to international data (UNHCR 2023), as of April 2023, there were approximately 24,000 refugees from Ukraine living in Georgia.

This paper aims to identify barriers to access to social services for people with disabilities among Ukrainian refugees and explore how stakeholders can reach them through communication channels. The paper analyses the challenges faced by Ukrainian refugees with disabilities in Georgia. A mixed-methods approach was used to address this objective, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. A survey of 114 Ukrainian refugees aged 18–60 (n = 114) living in Georgia was conducted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 experts from civil society organizations assisting Ukrainian refugees. The data obtained show significant difficulties faced by Ukrainian refugees with disabilities in accessing essential services, such as healthcare, employment, psychological counseling, rehabilitation, early intervention services, legal aid, and information. The main strategies used by humanitarian stakeholders include individual approaches and communication. However, despite the fact that many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) assist Ukrainian refugees, there is currently no NGO that specifically focuses on supporting children and adults of this group.

According to the Social Work Department