Research brief - Building Bridges: Strengthening Inclusion for Refugee Children Living with Disabilities in

While children and youth of all genders living with disabilities are prone to violence, girls living with disabilities experience heightened levels of inequity, exclusion, and violence due to their disability status and gender.2 As part of its response to the Ukrainian crisis in Poland and the region, Plan International Poland supports access to care and education services for children living with. [...] Profiles and experiences of children living with disabiilty To better understand the profiles of children among FRD and Patchwork’s project participants, educators and caregivers were asked to describe children’s impairments or special needs on the basis of the Washington Group Short Set of Disability Questions.3 Among study participants, young children have impairments and difficulties related to. [...] It is essential to note that children living with disabilities and special needs in Poland face many of the same challenges as refugees, linked to high levels of bureaucracy and limited capacity within public healthcare and administrative services, which are linked to long waiting times for official decisions on disability status and essential specialist care. [...] Recommendations As a crosscutting consideration, it is recommended that all actions that engage children living with disabilities and their families be underpinned by the human rights and empowerment approach, in which “inequalities are assessed on the basis of barriers and power and activities implemented under the human rights and empowerment approach focus on the removal of barriers and the bal. [...] • Training for caregivers on the psychosocial needs of their children and families, and on cultural differences between the Polish and Ukrainian systems to support their integration.