ADAPT

Ukraine is already facing a major societal challenge: how to address the needs of its veterans. To better support their recovery and reintegration into society, restart launched the ADAPT project. It combines spatial research with practical design measures and in its first phase focuses on the Ivano-Frankivsk region. By August 2024, nearly 3,000 people with war-related disabilities had been registered there, and the number of wounded continues to grow.
The project operates on three levels:
•    Regional: Examination of existing rehabilitation and support structures across all 62 territorial communities of the region. The aim is to identify disparities in service availability and develop recommendations to improve accessibility, coordination, and sustainability. So far, 115 locations and 67 key stakeholders have been identified and mapped.
•    Urban (Ivano-Frankivsk): Analysis of the city’s main systems – from medical and social services to transport, sports, education, and culture. In total, 7 core systems and 84 relevant stakeholders were mapped. Based on this, recommendations are being developed to strengthen inclusive, barrier-free infrastructure.
•    Local: Development of an inclusive recovery space in the courtyard of the Regional Clinical Hospital. Many veterans spend months there in rehabilitation, but suitable outdoor areas for physical activity and recreation are still lacking. A concept has been designed in close collaboration with veterans, rehabilitation specialists, and universal design experts. This pilot project is intended to serve as a model for other institutions in the future.
Methodologically, ADAPT applies a combination of spatial analysis, stakeholder mapping, sociological surveys, interviews, and participatory workshops. A key principle is the active involvement of veterans: their experiences and needs are directly integrated into planning and implementation.
In doing so, ADAPT lays the foundation for a better coordinated veterans’ policy, for inclusive infrastructures, and for scalable solutions that can be applied in other regions of Ukraine as well.