Assessment of Accessibility of Information and Notification during Crises and Humanitarian Response

Assessment of Accessibility of Information and Notification during Crises and Humanitarian Response

March 21, 2023

This study assesses the availability and accessibility of information and notifications during crises and humanitarian responses in Ukraine, focusing on three aspects: 1) the establishment and implementation of legislative norms; 2) the communication needs of people with disabilities; and 3) the compliance of official channels of information with accessibility requirements. Based on the assessment, the report provides a series of recommendations for authorities at different levels of governance to improve the accessibility of information during crises and humanitarian responses targeting people with disabilities.

To address the challenges faced by Ukraine in this area, the report proposes the development and approval of a Government Action Plan to eliminate gaps in legislation related to public information and notification. Additionally, it recommends the creation of an appropriate system for information and notification that is adapted to the needs of people with visual, hearing, motor, intellectual, and mental disabilities.

This study was prepared as part of the joint initiative "Mainstreaming Gender-Responsive Disability Inclusion in Humanitarian Response in Ukraine," financed by the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).