Kyiv urban bureau Big City Lab creates manual on making rehabilitation facilities barrier-free

Step-by-step instructions on how to make rehabilitation facilities barrier-free in Ukraine were presented in the capital.

Rubryka writes about it.

What is the problem?

During the full-scale war in Ukraine, more and more people are injured, but hospitals and rehabilitation facilities are poorly equipped for patients. Cosmetic repairs are not enough to create conditions for quality rehabilitation. People with disabilities or injuries cannot use the space independently — this turns a person from a subject into an object and does not contribute to recovery. 

What is the solution?

Step-by-step instructions on making rehabilitation facilities barrier-free were presented in Kyiv.

How does it work?

The manual provides:

• the list of basic rehabilitation services
• the matrix of violations (situations that demonstrate the barriers faced by various groups of the population with low mobility)
• solutions for different hospital spaces: entrance, courtyard, corridors, stairs and elevators, wards, navigation, dining room, showers and toilets
• physical therapy and occupational therapy rooms, where patients will be able to restore household skills: put the kettle on, cook food, restore fine motor skills, etc.
• The authors also added a questionnaire for self-auditing a medical institution for accessibility so all readers can check the institution in their city or community.

"The manual encompasses modern practices, approaches, and solutions to create hospital spaces accessible to everyone: doctors, therapists, patients for whom this space is created, and visitors," Tetyana Lomakina, the President's authorized adviser on barrier-free issues, shared at the presentation.

Viktoriia Titova, project manager and CEO of Big City Lab explains:

"Barrier-freeness does not end with ramps and descents. It is about how to make rehabilitation facilities comfortable for patients and doctors, a place of relaxation, relief, safety, a place of recovery: both social and psychological, and the skills of a person who seeks to return to active life, and not lie in the ward waiting for service."

Mariia Karchevych, Deputy Minister of Health for Digital Development, says:

"The need for rehabilitation services in Ukraine has increased significantly since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. At the same time, it is important not only to develop infrastructure and reconstruct buildings but also to ensure accessibility for all people who need such services. This will allow them to undergo rehabilitation comfortably and with dignity and facilitate recovery ".

The authors of the guide are urban bureau Big City Lab.

The manual was created jointly with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine within the framework of the National Strategy for the Creation of a Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine at the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska.

It was implemented with the financial and technical support of the World Bank, the Embassy of Switzerland, and development partners.

The Ministry of Rehabilitation, rehabilitation specialists, physical accessibility experts, architects, and military personnel who themselves underwent rehabilitation or are helping others to recover participated in creating the manual.

We would like to remind you that an innovative rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers Recovery was opened in Rivne, where thanks to state-of-the-art technologies, the institution's multidisciplinary team will be able to provide high-quality free rehabilitation assistance to more than 1,000 servicemen every year.

It was also reported that a new sports complex for military personnel and veterans, equipped with modern rehabilitation simulators, was opened in Kyiv.