Around the world, residential institutions for people with disabilities are being shut down. In Russia, reform has stalled.

Across much of the world, governments have been moving away from large residential institutions housing people with disabilities, where the very structure of care can foster abuse — and where many residents could, with the right support, live and work independently. In Russia, however, change has been slow and often superficial, despite years of pressure from nonprofits. A new analysis by the think tank To Be Precise, based on official data, expert interviews, and policy documents, takes a close...