Tetiana Barantsova
Tetiana Barantsova | |
|---|---|
 Barantsova in 2009 | |
| Born | 5 August 1973 |
| Died | 17 April 2025 (aged 51) |
| Occupation |
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Tetiana Barantsova (Ukrainian: Тетяна Баранцова; 5 August 1973 – 17 April 2025) was a Ukrainian disability rights activist and the founder of Ami-Skhid organisation. In 2020, she was appointed Ukrainian Government Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She was the 2020 European winner of the Nansen Refugee Award.
Early life and education
Barantsova was born in 1973 in Luhansk.[1][2] She broke her spine at the age of ten years while doing school gymnastics.[1] Graduated from Kyiv National University of Arts and Culture in 2002, and University of Education Management in 2018.[2]
Adult life
Barantsova was a disability rights activist and in 2002 she set up Ami-Skhid non-governmental organisation that helps Ukrainian women, families, and youth with disabilities.[1][3] The organisation undertakes advocacy and provides counselling and support services to people with disabilities.[1]
In 2014, Barantsova, her husband Oleksiy Soroka, and their son were displaced by the Russo-Ukrainian War.[1] Once she reached safety, she set up a telephone line to provide advice to people with disabilities who were trapped in the conflict zone, and provided advice, cash, and both legal and psychological support to 5,000 people.[1] Barantsova also set up an online school for internally displaced children, providing education to 1,000 pupils.[1]
From 2008 to 2020 she worked in Luhansk Oblast Centre for the Sociocultural Adaptation of Youth with Physical Disabilities[2] In 2020, she was the European winner of the Nansen Refugee Award.[1][4]
As of 2022, she was an advisor to the government of Ukraine.[5] She was appointed Government Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and was working to organize the evacuation abroad of people with disabilities and mobility-impaired people from various regions of Ukraine.[6]
Personal life and death
Barantsova was married to Oleksiy Soroka, and had one son.[1] She died on 17 April 2025, at the age of 51.[7]
Awards
On 4 December 2011, she was awarded the Order of Princess Olha, 3rd Class.
In 2020, she was the European winner of the Nansen Refugee Award.[1][8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Activist champions rights of people with disabilities in Ukraine". UNHCR. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ a b c "Biography of Tetiana Barantsova on the Government of Ukraine Portal". GoU (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Agudo, Alejandra (30 September 2020). ""En los momentos tristes pienso que, sin nuestro trabajo, muchas de las niñas estarían muertas"". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Tetiana Barantsova". The Independent. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Stewart, Ashleigh (7 March 2022). "Escape from Ukraine: 4-time Paralympian's 1,000-kilometre journey with disabled son - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Tetiana Barantsova: The organization of assistance for the most vulnerable categories of people is the overriding priority for our team/Ukrainian Government Portal, 07 April 2022
- ^ Померла Тетяна Баранцова — відома громадська діячка з Луганщини, захисниця прав людей з інвалідністю (in Ukrainian)
- ^ "Tetiana Barantsova". The Independent. Retrieved 19 August 2022.