Plan International Poland commissioned ITAR Consultants to conduct a Disability Inclusiveness study as part of project Safe and Sound – Ensuring child protection and uninterrupted education to alleviate the suffering of refugees from Ukraine and vulnerable host communities. The aim of the study is to understand the specific needs and barriers faced by girls, and boys with disabilities to inform Plan’s future programming and policy for vulnerable communities in Poland. Given the nature of Plan’s activities, the study focuses primarily on refugees from Ukraine, with a focus on children under 6 – in line with the target group of the Safe and Sound project.
Methodology
The approach for this study consists of:
A survey with Early Childhood Education providers working in all FRD centres as well as any other ECE providers identified before or during data collection.
A desk review to inform the methodology and to start answering research questions. The team reviewed programming and project documentation shared by Plan and its implementing partner Fundacja Rozwoju Dzieci (FRD) as well as additional documents identified by the research team through online searches focusing on policy documents from the Polish government, from the European Union (EU) and from international organisations as well as academic publications from peer-reviewed journals;
5 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with parents/caregivers of children with disabilities enrolled in FRD’s centres;
15 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with FRD educators in different locations, 5 KIIs with practitioners from other local or international organizations active in Poland, and 5 KIIs with policymakers at national and municipal levels; and,
