International law
The most important policy driver that fosters the provision of AT and AAC to persons with disabilities is the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – adopted in 2006. Article 4 lists among the obligations of the signing state parties to:
(g) To undertake or promote research and development of, and to promote the availability and use of new technologies, including information and communications technologies, mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, suitable for persons with disabilities, giving priority to technologies at an affordable cost;
(h) To provide accessible information to persons with disabilities about mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, including new technologies, as well as other forms of assistance, support services and facilities.
Article 7 of the Convention is on children with disabilities, and comma 3 reads:
States Parties shall ensure that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, their views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, on an equal basis with other children, and to be provided with disability and age-appropriate assistance to realise that right.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – adopted in 1989 – spells out the rights that all children have, including children with disabilities. Some of these rights are particularly relevant to assistive technology such as the rights to the protection and care necessary for well-being and health, including rehabilitation. But also to develop to the fullest; to education; to freedom of expression; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. In Article 23, the CRC specifically recognizes the right of children with disabilities to special care and assistance, which should be provided free of charge whenever possible.
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, known more commonly as ICF, is a classification of health and health-related domains. It was approved by the Ministry of Economics of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukrainian policies
In 2022 due to 2-year project run by our community the Ministery of Education an Science of Ukraine approved methodic recommendations in a form of an official letter. This documents defines AAC usage in Ukrainian edication system and is a result of cooperation of many professionals and NGOs.
This is the 1st step in AAC system building that is a ptiority for the Community. This enables further steps for implementation AAC and AT in different sectors for better social integration. Download a document in Ukrainian below of from offical site of the Ministry.
The document recommends that the needs assessment should involve specialists that can come from different professional backgrounds but that should be able to assess different aspects. All information about AAC tools, the method of their introduction, the teaching and education with the support of AAC, etc. must be recorded in the child’s personal record by the relevant specialist (speech therapist, psychologist or special needs teacher.) at an educational institution.
Pedagogical workers must take the recommendations of the support team specialists into account, who can determine the type of ACC and provide recommendations regarding its introduction, further communication of the child, etc. All teachers of an educational institution should contribute to the communicative and speech development of a child that does not have developed oral speech. Also, they should use the AAC tools in their work in the form in which they were assigned by the specialist of the team of psychological and pedagogical support (speech therapist, psychologist, correctional teacher). All members of the team of psychological and pedagogical support must work on the development of communicative and speech development of a child who needs ADC in the same direction and move gradually andjoin their efforts