Pushing for Barrier-Free Living in Ukraine
Today, December 3rd, we celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, reminding ourselves that respect for every individual is the foundation of a stable and just society.
The focus is on accessibility and equal opportunities for everyone: the right to free movement, access to quality services, education, and employment. The primary orientation of all decisions should remain on the individual, their choices, independence, and the ability to actively participate in community and national life.
In the context of war, the issue of barrier-free living has become even more pressing. It is no longer just about individual initiatives but about a long-term transformation of management culture, design, and interaction — a philosophy that defines future approaches to creating urban spaces and digital services.
Thus, it is crucial to continue working systematically to ensure that accessibility becomes the norm across all sectors. This process has strong public support. In just the last two years, over 40 state building norms and standards regarding accessibility have been updated, and preparations are underway for the draft law on the fundamental principles of state policy for creating a barrier-free space in Ukraine. A comprehensive accessibility monitoring has been conducted nationwide, and an interactive Barrier-Free Map has been created with open data on over 70,000 objects.
As part of the initiative by the First Lady of Ukraine, “Without Barriers,” this year the flagship project of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, “Movement Without Barriers,” was launched. It encompasses 15 pilot communities where comprehensive barrier-free routes are being developed for scaling the best solutions across the country.
Our joint task is to ensure that accessibility in its broadest sense becomes the norm, and that barrier-free living is a mandatory standard at the national, regional, and local levels.
Let’s work together, each in our own capacity, to build a country where people can live life to the fullest, realize themselves, and not be hindered by barriers.
