Barrier-free accessibility in Ukraine is low, big and fast changes are needed - MP
Kyiv • UNN
Serhiy Hryvko, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada subcommittee, said that the level of barrier-free accessibility in Ukraine is low. Rapid change requires resources and understanding of the problem, especially in terms of employment of people with disabilities.
Barrier-free accessibility remains a challenge, and there is still a lot of work to be done. Local governments are trying to remedy the situation, but a comprehensive solution to the problem requires significant resources. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive commentary to UNN by Serhiy Hryvko, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Subcommittee on Social Protection and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities and Regulation of the Activities of Their Enterprises and Public Associations.
Barrier-free accessibility is at a very low level. In recent years, though, there have been attempts to correct this history in order to make cities accessible and comfortable for people with disabilities. Local governments, government agencies, etc. have tried to do this. But this requires a lot of resources
In addition, he believes that in Ukraine, the authorities have little understanding of the problem of accessibility, including the employment of people with disabilities, although such problems are solved faster at the local government level because society has more influence there.
Hryvko added that the Rada Committee on Social Policy and Veterans' Rights has prepared draft law 5344d for the second reading, which provides for the obligation of state and local governments to employ people with disabilities.
This will definitely give an impetus to the understanding that we need to do this, and that it is important and necessary right now. Because before that, only private enterprises had the obligation to employ people with disabilities, roughly speaking, if they have 8 to 25 employees, that's one person with a disability, and more than 25 is 4%
Summarizing, Mr. Hryvko noted that there is still a lot of work to be done in the context of barrier-free accessibility in Ukraine, and that rapid changes require resources and understanding of the problem.
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Earlier, UNN reported that the city authorities of Brovary are developing a program for 4-5 years to improve accessibility and comfortable movement of people with disabilities. In particular, the Brovary community plans to equip special lifts for people with disabilities in apartment buildings. According to Mayor Ihor Sapozhko, this option is optimal for the community's old apartment buildings.
Olena Akopian, an advisor to the mayor of Brovary, told UNN that all public institutions in Brovary are accessible to people with disabilities. All major shopping centers are equipped with ramps, elevators, and hygiene rooms for people with disabilities. Various commercial establishments and organizations have begun to seek consultations more often to properly equip or redesign their entrances to make them accessible to people with disabilities.
