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 study focused on identifying the specific needs and barriers faced by children with disabilities, particularly refugee children under the age of six, to inform Plan’s future programming and policy efforts in Poland.
The study employed a mixed-methods approach, including:
- Desk review of programming and policy documents from Plan and its partners, the Polish government, the EU, international organisations, and academic sources;
- Five 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 organisations active in Poland, and 5 KIIs with policymakers at national and municipal levels; and
- 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.
