Solutions from Ukraine: Lviv opens Europe's second aromatorium for visually impaired children

Photo: Maksym Kozytsky

Maria Ignatenko

The second aromatorium in Europe has been inaugurated at Lviv Special School No. 100, providing a sensory space to enhance the sense of smell for children with visual impairments. This marks a significant advancement in inclusive education in Ukraine.

The head of Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytsky, reported this.

The newly created innovative sensory space will help children develop their sense of smell for learning, spatial orientation, and socialization. The idea and experience were borrowed from the Special Educational and Educational Center for Blind Children in Owinska, Poland.

^{Photo: Maksym Kozytsky}

The creation of an aromatorium for the Lviv region was possible thanks to the initiative of the Mom for Everyone charity fund with the support of UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency).

^{Photo: Maksym Kozytsky}

For this space, the following items were purchased:

• aromatic oils,
• aromatic compositions,
• food flavorings,
• perfume samples,
• herbs,
• base oils,
• samples of wood of various species and much more.

"Lviv Special School No. 100 is one of the oldest special schools for children with visual impairments in Ukraine and Europe. It is a space for supporting and integrating children with special educational needs, including those who arrived from frontline areas.

I would like to thank the school director Iryna Kostetska, the Mom for Everyone charity foundation headed by Nataliia Mykhailiv, UNHCR and all the partners who made the opening of this unique space possible," Maksym Kozytsky said.

Photo: Maksym Kozytsky

Photo: Maksym Kozytsky

He stated that since 2020, over 3 million hryvnias have been allocated from the regional budget to support the institution's needs. Plans are in place to expand programs and introduce new methods to help children with visual impairments develop essential skills for learning and life.

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