In 2017, Ukraine launched a deinstitutionalization reform aimed at shifting from a system of closed institutions to community-based living. These institutions traditionally housed children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, often isolating them from society. The full-scale Russian invasion further highlighted the urgency of this reform: residents of institutions were left without access to information, basic needs, or safety, while Ukraine’s EU candidate status (granted in June 2022) reinforced the obligation to strengthen human rights approaches and advance deinstitutionalization.

The reform envisions family-based care for children and community-based services for adults instead of institutional placement. Over the past 2.5 years, local organizations of people with disabilities have initiated “bottom-up” deinstitutionalization by piloting supported living services for individuals with intellectual, mental, and physical disabilities.

This research analyzes the early stages of such supported living initiatives in Ukraine, focusing on the experiences and (self)identification of people with intellectual and/or mental disabilities. The study explores how these individuals interact with service-providing NGOs, local communities, public spaces, and peers within supported living settings.

Three cases will be examined: the NGO Masternia Mrii in Lviv (two supported accommodation houses), Caritas-Ukraine’s supported living house DiM in Stryi (Lviv region), and Dim-Emaus of the Emmaus Center in Lviv. Data will be gathered through semi-structured interviews and participatory observation as a volunteer.

The study will result in an analytical article presenting the lived experiences of supported living service recipients in Lviv and Kyiv regions. Its findings will inform NGOs, local authorities, and communities, emphasizing the need for regulatory adjustments and greater recognition of supported living as a cornerstone of Ukraine’s social care reform.