The team of the NGO Public Movement "Social Unity" has achieved an important victory in the struggle to ensure the right of people with hearing impairments to receive medical services in their native language – sign language. Thanks to the organization's persistent work, mandatory sign language interpretation during the provision of medical services was restored on January 1, 2024.
In 2021, the Government made an important decision to ensure the rights of deaf people and people with partial hearing loss. According to the amendments to Resolution No. 410, starting from April 1, 2022, medical institutions had to engage a sign language interpreter in a dialogue with a sign language person at their own expense. This decision allowed deaf people to receive quality medical care on an equal footing with other citizens, as sign language interpreters provided high-quality translation in both directions.
However, after the start of the full-scale invasion of Russia, this rule was suspended.
This decision effectively deprived citizens with hearing impairments of equal access to medicine. After all, without high-quality translation, they cannot fully receive the necessary medical care and information about their health status. This has created discriminatory conditions and threatened the rights of hearing impaired patients.
Our public organization, which advocates for the rights of people with various forms of disability, including hearing impairment, sent letters to the President's Office, the Ministry of Health, the NHSU, and other authorities. After all, canceling the translation is a manifestation of discrimination and a violation of the rights of people with disabilities.
Thanks to the persistence of the NGO Public Movement "Social Unity", the NHSU and the Ministry of Health developed amendments to Government Resolution No. 410, which restored the mandatory translation of sign language in medical institutions. These amendments have been processed and approved by the Government.
On October 20, 2023, by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1139 On Amendments to Certain Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to Improve the Implementation of the "Medical Guarantee Program", the Government amended the CMU Resolution No. 410 "On Contracts for Medical Services to the Population under the Medical Guarantee Program".
According to the amendments, in the non-occupied territories and where there are no hostilities, starting from January 1, 2024, the requirement to include a scanned copy of a document confirming the provision of sign language interpretation in medical institutions in the proposal for concluding a contract will be restored.
Oleh Chebanenko, head of the NGO Public Movement "Social Unity", welcomed the decision: "The return of the norm on sign language interpretation in medical institutions is a huge step forward for deaf citizens. Now people with hearing impairments can once again confidently seek medical care without fear of information, communication and psychological barriers. This is a recognition of rights by the state and a step towards equal access to important medical services. NGO Public Movement "Social Unity" has contributed to the return of this norm by showing great persistence in resolving this issue. We manage to achieve results and will continue to work to improve the quality of life of deaf people."
Please contact the NGO Public Movement "Social Unity" if you are denied sign language interpretation in medical institutions. We are convinced that the rights of people with disabilities must be guaranteed by the state, especially during the war.
