How to interact with people with disabilities: a training for instructors of inclusive driving schools and service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was held in Kyiv
On October 30, at the initiative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and with the support of the Government of Japan, the training “Driving without barriers: ethics of interaction with people with disabilities” was held in Kyiv. 28 instructors and examiners from Dnipro, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Kyiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Lviv and Odessa have already been trained. Experts spoke about ethical communication and best practices for supporting and assisting learners of inclusive driving schools.
The event was attended by Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Kateryna Pavlichenko, Bohdan Drapiaty, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UN Development Programme in Ukraine Christoforos Politis, Head of the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Mykola Rudyk.
According to Ekaterina Pavlichenko, the number of people with disabilities in Ukraine is growing not only among military personnel, but also among civilians. That is why this year the Ministry of Internal Affairs created not just driving schools, but a comprehensive public service. It will contribute to the adaptation of people with disabilities to driving vehicles.
“Already six higher educational institutions of the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine are service providers within the framework of the project “Driving schools for persons with disabilities”. On the basis of these educational institutions, driving schools have been created and the nearest service centers take exams,” said Kateryna Pavlichenko.
Currently, about fifty trainees are trained in driving schools, seven of them are Ukrainian defenders. More than six people with disabilities have already obtained a driver's license.
During the event, participants learned basic knowledge and practical skills on the provision of services for persons with disabilities during training, communication ethics, basic understanding of the types of rehabilitation aids, types of restrictions on daily functioning, techniques of assistance to persons with disabilities and methods of their movement.
“For UNDP, inclusiveness is one of the key approaches in providing support. We are extremely proud to help support such initiatives. This project can make a significant contribution to making people feel included in society. The Japanese government focuses its support on making people feel safe and have equal rights. It is this project that helps to strengthen and expand the opportunities of people with disabilities,” said Christoforos Politis, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UN Development Programme in Ukraine.
The skills acquired during the training will help specialists better understand the needs of people with disabilities, and their turn - to feel the competence of specialists and willingness to help.
“Inclusive driving schools” is a flagship project of the Ministry of Internal Affairs within the nationwide initiative of First Lady of Ukraine Elena Zelenskaya “Without Barriers”, aimed at equal opportunities for all those who seek to master driving skills and obtain a driver's license. Training for instructors was organized as part of the project “Promoting the Security of People in Ukraine by Responding to the Multidimensional Crisis Caused by the War” funded by the Government of Japan.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
