An unfortunate natural experiment in learning how to provide services to those in need: The case of Ukrainian war refugees with disabilities in Warsaw and Bucharest

When helping others, experience becomes important, especially in circumstances that involve interacting with a different culture—such as the ones implied in providing services to refugees. When disability is added to refuge, multiple types of experience become necessary, with the capacity for cross-sector collaboration being an asset. This paper explores the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the capacity of the Polish and Romanian organizations providing services to Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw and Bucharest, with a focus on disabled refugees. Based on 41 interviews with service providers/grass-roots organizations, it turns out that this unfortunate event served as a natural laboratory for practicing, acquiring, and increasing skills in multiple domains, leading to increased personal and institutional expertise. We inspect the differences between Warsaw and Bucharest, the first city having more experience in dealing with incoming flows of immigrants, the second being a newcomer in this respect. We also consider the distinction between public providers (public administration) and non-governmental organization entities, observing the upscaling of the latter. Implications for policy are considered within the framework of curtailing civic society under the illiberal wave.