The first stage of the creation of the Veteran’s Way barrier-free route as part of the flagship Movement Without Barriers project has started in Poltava. This project is being implemented by the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development as part of First Lady Olena Zelenska’s initiative “Without Barriers” and aims to create an accessible environment in 14 pilot communities in Ukraine.
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The route marking in Poltava has a dual function — it not only informs about the start of reconstruction, but also demonstrates typical barriers that make it difficult for people with disabilities, veterans, and other low-mobility groups to move around. The event was attended by veteran Artem Lifridov and City Council Secretary Kateryna Yamshchikova, who helped to install the special signs. Information posters and city lights have also appeared on the city streets to raise awareness of the need to create inclusive spaces.
The initiative is supported by ambassadors for barrier-free accessibility, including Paralympic champion Yevhenii Bohodayko. The mayor’s advisers, Taras Rudenko (on urban planning and architecture) and Iryna Tverdokhlib (on barrier-free access), are also actively involved.
“The Movement Without Barriers covers Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Lviv, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Slavutych, Kropyvnytskyi, Bucha, and the village of Opishnia. These communities are gradually creating routes free of physical and informational barriers to make urban space convenient and safe for everyone.
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