Unfortunately, in Ukraine, it is difficult for many children with disabilities and special educational needs to access sports. Such children constantly face stigmatization and discrimination; there is a noticeable shortage of qualified professionals in the regions.

Photo courtesy of UAF

With this project, the UAF aims to change societal attitudes and help children realize their potential and improve their psycho-emotional and physical state through the opportunity to participate in sports.

Photo courtesy of UAF

The project uses the opportunities provided by mass football as a powerful tool to introduce inclusive education for children in Ukraine through play-based activities, integrates children with disabilities and special educational needs into children's groups, trains volunteers for further implementation of regular sessions with these children, creates inclusive football sections, and supports their continued stable development within communities.

Photo courtesy of UAF

Main goals of the UAF project "Inclusive Football Sections":

— to improve the psycho-emotional and physical state of children with disabilities and special educational needs through their involvement in physical activities within the project and socialization;

— to change Ukrainian society's attitude towards people with disabilities and children with special educational needs;

— to provide access to inclusive sports activities;

— to unlock the potential of children;

— to unite children and adults, regardless of physical or mental development characteristics;

— to motivate all children in mass football, regardless of abilities, gender, social issues;

— to activate local communities through cross-sectoral networks (teachers, coaches, psychologists, parents, youth leaders, local authorities, patrons, etc.).

Thanks to the UAF, sections are provided with children's football uniforms, balls, and necessary sports equipment.

Main results of the project in the 2024/2025 season:

— organization of the work of 17 regular inclusive football sections involving children with disabilities and special educational needs in 17 regions;

— involvement of nearly 300 children, most of whose parents acknowledged that their children's physical and mental state improved due to participation in the activities;

— development of a new specific training program for teachers/coaches working with children with special educational needs and people with disabilities, which was approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine;

— conducting the first training course under this program in April 2025 for 32 participants from regions.

In the 2025/2026 season, 18 locations will join the project.

National Coordination

Yevheniy Stolitenko, 067 550 81 52, [email protected].

Contacts in Regions

Vinnytsia Oblast:

s. Agromnoye, Hnivan'ske Shosse, 8 km, 1, Prybuzka Special School.

Coach: Vitaliy Maringevich, 096 363 88 66.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Viktoriya Smytanuk, 068 217 28 17, [email protected].

Volyn Oblast:

m. Novovolynsk, Volynska St., 17, Novovolynsk Special School.

Coach: Yurii Demus, 067 763 01 68.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Vasyl Kohnovskyi, 095 898 65 01, [email protected].

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast:

s. Magdalynivka, Central St., 12, Magdalynivsky Lyceum.

Coach: Yurii Zozulya, 066 457 70 37.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Yaroslav Derevyanyk, 097 157 33 10, [email protected].

Zhytomyr Oblast:

s. Gryshkivtsi, Zhytomyrska St., 155, Berdychiv Special School.

Coach: Tetiana Zynevych, 097 237 01 12.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Ruslan Mayevskyi, 067 264 87 50, [email protected].

Zakarpattia Oblast:

m. Uzhhorod, Volodymyrska St., 110-112, "Avtomobilist" Stadium.

Coach: Valeriy Shkura, 099 225 95 43.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Anastasiia Penzova, 050 252 92 48, [email protected].

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast:

m. Rakhmatyn, Shevchenka St., 29, Inclusive-Resource Center; Shevchenka St., 71-A, Rakhmatyn Lyceum No. 1.

Coach: Maxim Sitkiv, 096 940 09 89.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Vasyl Sykorovych, 050 555 31 61, [email protected].

Kyiv Oblast:

m. Tarascha, Volodymyr Great St., 32-A, Tarashchansky Academic Lyceum "Success".

Coach: Dmytro Omelchenko, 063 041 12 54.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Volodymyr Maslov, 067 698 77 90, [email protected].

Kirovohrad Oblast:

m. Kryvyi Rih, Kurypiatnykova St., 19, Kryvyi Rih Educational-Rehabilitation Center.

Coach: Hrytsyna Gorelko, 095 252 04 31.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Oleksii Kravchenko, 099 972 11 78, [email protected].

Lviv Oblast:

m. Buzhak, Kiev St., 15, Buzhak DSU.

Coach: Lyudmyla Skrypinska, 096 346 39 13.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Stepan Ponaia, 067 341 57 35, [email protected].

Odessa Oblast:

s. Usatove, Independence St., 83, Usatove Lyceum.

Coach: Dmytro Yermakov, 095 678 32 00.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Serhii Sereda, 098 969 03 98, [email protected].

Poltava Oblast:

m. Poltava, Kosmichnyi Prol., 7, Poltava Special School No. 40.

Coach: Dmytro Fomenko, 066 451 72 91.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Dmytro Polyanskyi, 099 054 04 78, [email protected].

Rivne Oblast:

m. Rivne, Vydynska St., 35, Auto Transport College.

Coach: Yevhen Kolesnyk, 095 565 12 84.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Oleksandr Hilyi, 097 305 84 21, [email protected].

Ternopil Oblast:

m. Zboriv, Shevchenka St., 12, School No. 1.

Coach: Mariia Shalai, 068 423 58 40.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Vasyl Zatorskyi, 068 621 28 95, [email protected].

Khmelnytskyi Oblast:

m. Khmelnytskyi, Lvivske Shosse, 47/3, Lyceum No. 24.

Coach: Lyudmyla Peknich, 068 205 04 33.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Mykola Kuznetsov, 067 356 75 75, [email protected].

Cherkasy Oblast:

m. Shpol, Soborna St., 11, Shpolianska DSU.

Coach: Oksana Khapatsko, 096 185 20 39.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Oleksandr Kochergin, 063 439 07 62, [email protected].

Chernivtsi Oblast:

m. Chernivtsi, I. Mazepa St., 8-A, Lyceum No. 15.

Coach: Mykola Niga, 066 267 08 63.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Oleksandr Plakhov, 050 660 49 50, [email protected].

Chernihiv Oblast:

m. Chernihiv, Sosnovaya St., 23, Lyceum No. 5.

Coach: Alina Sidorchuk, 066 293 53 79.

Coordinator from the oblast association of football: Anatoliy Svystun, 050 570 01 94, [email protected].

City of Kyiv:

m. Kyiv, Laboratornyi Prol., 7-A, NTK for the preparation of youth and junior national teams of UAF.

Coach and coordinator from the regional association of football: Liudmyla Kopilova, 050 357 48 48, [email protected].