The state has compensated employers UAH 77 million for the arrangement of workplaces for 1,200 specialists with disabilities since the beginning of 2024. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Economy Tetyana Berezhna.
“We are working to ensure that people with disabilities, including those sustained as a result of the war, have more opportunities in the labour market and can realise their potential. To help employers remove barriers for employees in the workplace, we have proposed to reimburse them for the costs of purchasing special furniture, equipment, and auxiliary devices for people with disabilities. The working environment should be comfortable and safe for everyone. Since the beginning of this year, more than 1,000 entrepreneurs have received compensation from the state for equipping workplaces for 1,200 people with disabilities whom they have hired. In total, the state has reimbursed them for UAH 77 million,” said Tetyana Berezhna.
Entrepreneurs from all regions of Ukraine received compensation for workplace accessibility for employees with disabilities. The largest number of such employers are in Kyiv, Cherkasy, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odesa and Volyn regions. The professionals for whom workplaces have been equipped include accountants, teachers, occupational health and safety engineers, clerks, administrators, trade managers, drivers and mechanics.
The employers purchased specialised furniture and fittings to adapt workplaces for employees with back problems, specialised functional office chairs with adjustable seat height and backrest, computers (PCs, laptops) with built-in eye protection devices for visually impaired employees, specialised desk lamps for visually impaired employees, communication equipment and specialised accessories (phones and headphones) for hearing impaired employees, and workwear.
In August 2023, the Government introduced a programme to compensate employers for the costs of equipping workplaces for people with disabilities. Under the programme, the amount of compensation is up to UAH 106,500 for the arrangement of workplaces for people with Group I disabilities and up to UAH 71,000 for people with Group II disabilities.
To receive compensation, an employer must submit an application within 90 days of hiring a specialist with a disability. This can be done online on the Diia portal or offline by contacting the regional employment centre. The application is processed within 10 working days. In case of a positive decision, the funds will be transferred to the employer’s account within 5 days.
The programme to compensate employers for the costs of equipping workplaces for people with disabilities is part of the flagship project of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine “Work without Barriers”, which is being implemented as part of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine. (Government portal)