Only one in five facilities in Ukraine is physically accessible, the Ministry for Development reports

Just 20% of Ukraine’s infrastructure is considered accessible built environments for individuals with disabilities, the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories reported. In collaboration with LUN, a real estate company, the Ministry conducted nationwide accessibility monitoring and created an interactive Accessibility Map to help citizens identify which infrastructure, facilities, and services accommodate people living with impairments.

The initiative was unveiled during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, Nataliia Kozlovska.

“The full-scale invasion has only intensified this need,” Kozlovska said. “Many of our cities were built during the Soviet era, with little consideration for people who require barrier-free spaces. That’s why the Ministry for Development, together with LUN, recognized the importance of practical solutions to update the Accessibility Map, for a person to determine which nearby facilities are accessible and which are not. Currently, only 20% of facilities meet accessibility standards.”

The interactive Accessibility Map now features 70,000 places across communities in Ukraine. All locations can be viewed in detail in real time, thanks to LUN’s technological support. Each site is assigned a color-coded accessibility rating, from green for fully accessible to red for facilities that are not, giving users detailed, up-to-date information about their surroundings.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news