Ukraine plans to significantly improve the system for monitoring the effectiveness of barrier-free and inclusive measures. According to the report for last year, only 22% of the 54,000 objects that were the object of the study were barrier-free. In addition, it is planned to strengthen control over compliance with new building regulations, which include the wide application of barrier-free principles.
This was reported by Olena Shulyak, head of the Verkhovna Rada's Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, who is also the head of the Servant of the People party. She noted that the statistics on barrier-free physical facilities and services for people with disabilities are disappointing, and require a review of urban planning with a focus on practical results.
"Today there is a lot of talk about barrier-freeness and inclusion, but in reality we see a very low level of their implementation. We need to review the rules of urban development and increase control over their implementation. In Kyiv, for example, it remains only in words during conferences, but the city does little in practice," Shulyak emphasized.
She also emphasized the need to improve the methods of monitoring the accessibility of public services in order to make them an effective tool for the implementation of barrier-free accessibility. In addition, an important step will be the creation of barrier-free councils in territorial communities, which will promote the implementation of real solutions for barrier-free access, as well as monitor the availability of public services.
Olena Shulyak also emphasized the need for strict control over compliance with new building regulations, which provide for high standards of inclusiveness. "We plan to implement European standards, train specialists, and strengthen monitoring and control of barrier-free construction and reconstruction," she added.
The People's Deputy emphasized that the successful implementation of barrier-free principles requires the support of civil society, which best understands the needs of its communities. "Each of us, sooner or later, faces the need for barrier-free conditions. This issue becomes extremely relevant in the conditions of a military conflict, when barriers that were previously invisible become obvious to everyone who needs support," Shulyak concluded.
