The accessibility of public spaces, transport, and buildings remains a painful issue for people with disabilities in Ukraine. According to the results of focus group studies conducted as part of a new report on barriers to employment, respondents unanimously indicated that the infrastructure in cities still does not take into account their needs.
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In particular, people with disabilities emphasise the need for full accessibility not only to the entrance to buildings, but also inside them. The need for inclusive transport also remains important. According to the study participants, gradual positive changes are being observed only in large cities, thanks to the efforts of NGOs. In small towns and villages, the situation is much worse.
Sometimes initiatives to install ramps or other barrier-free elements in residential buildings are met with resistance from residents themselves. This reaction, according to the respondents, demonstrates a misunderstanding of the problem: accessibility is not about pity, but about basic respect for the dignity and right of every person to live independently.
The report also emphasises that changes should be made not only through activism, but also through systemic support — in the form of government programmes, updating building codes and monitoring their compliance.
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