Welcome to DISENEX+East

Expanding Opportunities for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus

DISENEX+East is a project building on the foundations of the successful DISENEX initiative, extending its reach to the countries of the Eastern Partnership region. Our mission is to empower people with disabilities in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams — by providing access to knowledge, practical tools, motivational stories, and cross-border expertise.

Our Vision

Despite having ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, countries in the Eastern Partnership region continue to face significant structural challenges: limited accessible infrastructure, scarce advisory and funding opportunities, and insufficient social acceptance. DISENEX+East was created to address these gaps — and to inspire change.

We believe that social entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful tools for inclusion. It offers people with disabilities a secure place in the open labour market, financial independence, and a stronger voice in society.

What We've Achieved

Motivational Films
We interviewed entrepreneurs with disabilities across the partner countries — people who built sustainable businesses from the ground up. Their stories became the foundation for 21 motivational videos

Open Learning Courses
Finding suitable training for people with disabilities is a challenge. That’s why we researched, evaluated, and curated 32 open-access courses and learning programmes — assessed using a competency matrix derived from the EntreComp framework, supplemented with competencies specific to people with disabilities. People with disabilities participated directly in the evaluation process. All courses are freely available and listed on this portal.

Legislative Analysis
Our partners analysed the legal landscape for founding and running a social enterprise in each partner country — covering available business structures, financial and administrative support mechanisms, and relevant legislation. The results are published here, free of charge, to help aspiring entrepreneurs navigate their local environment.

Methodology & Guidelines
DISENEX+East is grounded in the methodology developed during the original DISENEX project. It analyses the competencies and tools needed to successfully establish a company, the minimum requirements for effective support structures, and ways to foster motivation and a willingness to learn.

What We Found

Our work revealed important insights for policymakers and civil society alike:

With the exception of Moldova, none of the partner countries had a dedicated legal form for social enterprises at the time of the study — limiting the range of support mechanisms available to founders.
Many existing training programmes are not yet accessible to people with disabilities and require adaptation.
The role of civil society in driving legislative progress on inclusion is significant — but state action needs to become more systematic.
Topics such as accessibility, social support, and continuing education for people with disabilities require deeper collaboration between civil society, experts, and government.

Our Network & Reach

The project brought together civil society organisations from across Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, building new partnerships and exchanging expertise across borders. Project results were presented at international conferences including Extrability 2021 and Archipelag 2121

<span “>Our content generated over 42,000 views on Facebook and hundreds more on Instagram — spreading the message that disability is no barrier to entrepreneurship.