Rebuilding Ukraine: Kharkiv establishes new department for inclusive accessibility and barrier-free environment

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, officials from the Kharkiv government have constantly touted Kharkiv as one of Ukraine's most convenient and comfortable cities. However, many Kharkiv locals point out issues with architectural accessibility and inclusion in schools, museums, theaters, and supermarkets. Hundreds of thousands of individuals, including mothers with young children, senior citizens, and people with physical disabilities, visual or hearing impairments, and other health problems, have faced numerous barriers throughout the city. In July 2024, the Kharkiv City Council established a department for inclusive accessibility and a barrier-free environment.

Rubryka reported that on Radio "Nakypilo" 's morning broadcast, presenter Volodymyr Noskov attempted to determine the duties of the newly established department.

What is the problem?

As the grand invasion of Russia began, the topic of inclusion and creating a barrier-free environment reached a whole new level. Defenders, both men and women, who have varying physical and mental health conditions, are now coming back from the front lines.

What is the solution?

The Kharkiv City Council is confident that establishing this department will improve the current situation. Officials have set a goal of creating a barrier-free environment for all community members in areas such as transportation, construction, urban development, and social infrastructure.

Yuriy Shparaha, the Director of the Department of Inclusive Accessibility and Barrier-Free Environment, explained that the department will work closely with all departments of the City Council to ensure accessibility and remove barriers for all individuals.

How does it work?

It's about creating an environment that will be accessible to anyone.

"We are not only talking about people with disabilities; we are talking about citizens with reduced mobility in general. Today, you are 40; in a few years, you will be 70; today, you are healthy –  tomorrow, you may have certain health problems. Pregnant women, women with baby carriages, and even a person with a large suitcase who got out of a taxi and cannot climb that high threshold. That is, we are talking about a universal design that would provide accessibility to anyone, at any time and under any circumstances," the official noted.

According to him, the department currently consists of three divisions:

• Audit;
• Cooperation with international organizations and public associations;
• Control which individuals with the necessary education will staff to determine compliance with state building regulations.

What's next?

According to Yuriy Shparaha, the National Barrier-free Strategy for the period until 2030 aims to establish a barrier-free environment in Ukraine by focusing on six main areas: physical, informational, social, economic, digital, and educational accessibility. This is why the newly established department promotes fundamental values and initiatives to foster inclusion and accessibility development in Kharkiv.

To start, the department's experts will carry out an accessibility assessment of the city's infrastructure in every district. Afterward, they will create an interactive map showcasing Kharkiv's accessibility.

Furthermore, the department should establish an advisory committee, incorporating members from public organizations with expertise in creating a barrier-free society. The city council has committed to considering insights from the public sector.

Rubryka is an information partner.

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It should be noted that Ukraine plans to enhance the monitoring system to assess the effectiveness of inclusive and barrier-free measures. According to last year's findings, only 22% of the 54,000 facilities investigated were barrier-free. Furthermore, Ukraine aims to strengthen supervision by implementing new construction regulations with a relatively broad scope of barrier-free provisions.