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Construction in Ukraine will be checked for accessibility in the EDESSB
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a decision that changes the approach to design and construction — from now on, all projects will undergo digital accessibility testing in the EDESSB system. This is not just a technical requirement, but a guarantee that the needs of every person will be taken into account during construction — a parent with a pram, a veteran with a prosthesis, a person with a cane, or a pregnant woman. Each project will now require an accessibility checklist — a document confirming that architects and experts have taken accessibility standards into account at the design stage. This will allow schools, hospitals, homes and public spaces to be built to be accessible to everyone from the outset, without the need for modifications after commissioning. ‘Barrier-free access should not be just a declaration, but a real norm for every project. We are laying down the principle of accessibility at the design stage so that every new building, school or hospital in Ukraine is comfortable for everyone, without exception,’ emphasised Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba . YEDESSB will now become not only the basis for construction documents, but also a digital tool for monitoring compliance with humanity and equality in space. From the first drawings to commissioning. Because true reconstruction is when everyone can open the door and walk inside. The photos were taken from open internet sources.
30.10.2025
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Events
LAOPD improves living conditions for people with disabilities in Pechenigi
The Luhansk Association of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOPD) public union, in partnership with the non-governmental charitable organisation Solidar Suisse Ukraine , is implementing a programme in the Pechenizka community to improve the living conditions of persons with disabilities in groups I and II. This initiative aims to improve the quality of life and create a comfortable, accessible and safe environment for people with disabilities. The programme includes renovation and refurbishment of housing — installation of ramps, handrails, railings, adapted showers and toilets, as well as improvement of living conditions. The goal of the programme is to ensure decent living conditions and promote the social integration and independence of persons with disabilities. The LAOPD expresses its sincere gratitude to Solidar Suisse Ukraine for its support, as well as to the local authorities and all partners who have joined in the implementation of this important project. Through our joint efforts, we are creating communities where every person has the right to comfort, safety and respect.
30.10.2025
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Events
We continue inclusive transportation: helping those in need
The LAOPD team , in partnership with VIS – Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo and with the support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund , continues to provide free inclusive transport for community residents. We are there for those who need help getting around – every day, wherever it is most needed. In August, dozens of trips were made to hospitals, pharmacies, social services, and schools. The demand for the service confirmed that it is truly needed. Geography of service provision: Zaporizhzhia region: Zaporizhzhia district Dnipropetrovsk region: Synelnykivskyi, Nikopolskyi, Pavlohradskyi districts Who can use the service: families with children; people who use wheelchairs; elderly people (60+ / 75+); internally displaced persons (IDPs); residents who have difficulty getting around. What the trip includes: transportation to hospitals, pharmacies, social services, educational or rehabilitation centres; assistance with boarding and disembarking; a bus equipped with a lifting platform; child car seats. Phone number for booking: +380 96 621 37 31 You can also submit a request via the QR code in the image. We appreciate your feedback — it helps us improve our service and better respond to the needs of the community. We go where we are needed. Free of charge. Reliable. On time. The service is provided as part of the project ‘Protection, health care and inclusion of vulnerable populations in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions’, implemented with the support of OCHA Ukraine and implemented by the Luhansk Association of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOPD) in partnership with Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS).
24.10.2025
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News
Ukraine approves standard for rehabilitation after spinal cord injuries
Spinal cord injury is one of the most challenging conditions faced by rehabilitation specialists worldwide. It is often accompanied by impaired mobility, sensitivity, pelvic organ function, and the risk of complications such as bedsores, infections, and respiratory or cardiovascular disorders. Therefore, patients require urgent medical care and the earliest possible start of rehabilitation. In Ukraine, spinal cord injuries remain among the most common injuries sustained as a result of combat operations, both among military personnel and civilians. For example, in 2024, Ukrainian healthcare facilities providing rehabilitation care admitted about 3,500 patients with spinal injuries, while in 2021 — before the full-scale war began — there were half as many cases. Ukraine now has its first national standard for rehabilitation care for spinal cord injuries, which defines how care should be provided — from the first days after the injury to the person's return to normal life. The document describes three periods of recovery — acute, post-acute and long-term — and provides for the work of a multidisciplinary team: a physical and rehabilitation medicine doctor, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a psychologist, a rehabilitation nurse, a social worker and other specialists. Each member of the team has a defined area of responsibility to ensure that the recovery process is consistent and continuous. For the first time, quality indicators for rehabilitation care have been introduced, which will allow its effectiveness to be assessed and treatment approaches to be improved. The standard was developed based on adapted clinical guidelines, taking into account international recommendations from SCIRE, ISCoS, Can-SCIP, and PVA, which ensures that the Ukrainian rehabilitation system is in line with modern global practices. The approval of rehabilitation care standards is one of the priorities of the Government's Action Programme. Work is ongoing: the next standards are already being prepared — for after amputations, for cerebral palsy, for after fractures, strokes and for premature babies. The photos were taken from open internet sources.
21.10.2025
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Articles
International White Cane Day: a symbol of seeing with your heart
Today, 15 October, the world celebrates International White Cane Day — a day of solidarity and awareness of the needs of people with visual impairments. The white cane has become a symbol of independence and autonomy for blind people. Its history began in 1921 in the British city of Bristol. Young photographer James Biggs , who lost his sight in an accident, noticed that his dark cane was invisible to drivers and pedestrians. To make it visible, he painted the cane white. The idea quickly spread around the world, becoming a recognisable symbol of a person with visual impairment. Today, this day reminds us that accessibility is a common cause for society . We must work to ensure that: tactile navigation is standard in cities; audio information is available everywhere; digital services take into account the needs of people with visual impairments; respectful communication becomes the norm rather than the exception. The white cane is not only a sign, but also a symbol of dignity, autonomy and strength of a person who overcomes barriers every day, barriers that we can remove together.
15.10.2025
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News
New experimental project to support children with disabilities
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted Resolution No. 764 of 25 June 2025, which launched a pilot project for the procurement of social services for the comprehensive development and care of children with disabilities. According to the document, the Social Protection Fund for Persons with Disabilities has been designated as the customer of social services. The Fund will coordinate the participation of local communities that join the project on their own initiative and will also ensure the procurement of comprehensive development and care services for children with disabilities. The aim of the initiative is to create conditions under which every child with disabilities can receive not only care, but also support in learning, social adaptation and capacity building. What does the new project to support children with disabilities offer? This government project is an attempt to make the care and development of children with disabilities more accessible and of higher quality . Previously, such services were often scattered, and parents had to seek support on their own — speech therapists, psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, teachers. Now, the state wants to purchase these services in communities so that children can receive them comprehensively — in one place. In simple terms, this project provides: Support for families — assistance not only for the child, but also for the parents, so that they are not left alone with their problems. Accessibility — services are planned to be brought closer to the child's place of residence so that there is no need to travel to another city. Quality and consistency — specialists in education, social work, and medicine will be involved in the process. State funding — communities will be able to receive money through the Social Protection Fund for Persons with Disabilities to organise such assistance. The photos were taken from open internet sources.
13.10.2025
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Articles
Icelandic Ramp Up project: partnership for a barrier-free Ukraine
A meeting was held in Lviv dedicated to the implementation of the Icelandic Ramp Up project, which plans to install over a thousand ramps in Ukraine, particularly in the Lviv region. One hundred of them will be installed in Lviv, where the construction of the first ten ramps to public facilities on Sichovykh Striltsiv Street has already been completed. The project aims to create an accessible environment for people with disabilities, war veterans, and all groups with limited mobility. Mykola Nadulychny , head of the Luhansk Association of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities , took part in the meeting and emphasised the importance of international partnership for real improvement in accessibility in Ukrainian communities: ‘Iceland's experience in creating an inclusive space is extremely valuable for Ukraine. Together with our partners, we strive not only to build ramps, but also to shape a culture of accessibility — where every person can move freely, learn, work and live with dignity.’ The meeting was attended by the acting head of the Lviv Regional Council, Yuriy Kholod, the Deputy Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iceland to Poland and Ukraine, Reingardur Kolss , and the founder of the Ramp Up project, Haraldur Torleifsson. Yuriy Kholod emphasised that the development of an inclusive environment is one of the priorities of the regional authorities and proposed to start the regional stage of the project in Novoyavorivsk , where the first proposals for facilities requiring the installation of ramps are already being prepared. The founder of the initiative, Haraldur Thorleifsson, noted that the Ramp Up Foundation has successful experience in implementing similar projects in various countries around the world, and the cost of one ramp in Ukraine is about a thousand euros. ‘We want Ukraine to become an example of accessibility. We are starting with Lviv, but the goal is to expand the project to other regions,’ he emphasised. Reingardur Kolso stressed that the Icelandic government supports the initiative, especially given the current needs of communities in small settlements. Members of the Lviv Regional Council, representatives of the Lviv Regional State Administration and the public sector also took part in the event. The cooperation between Iceland and Ukrainian organisations, in particular the Luhansk Association of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities , is an example of how international solidarity can change people's daily lives, making them accessible, safe and dignified.
13.10.2025
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Articles
Lviv Region State Tax Service: steps towards barrier-free service
As part of the communication support for the implementation of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment, a meeting was held between tax officials and accessibility ambassadors. Specialists in accessibility from the Luhansk Association of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities were invited for thorough monitoring of the new State Tax Service – Tax Consultants Office. The meeting was also attended by Roman Matsa, Deputy Head of the State Tax Service in Lviv Region, and Olena Hleba, Head of the Information Interaction Department. The main issue discussed at the meeting was the implementation of barrier-free principles in the work of the new State Tax Service service – the Tax Consultants Office. After careful monitoring, both advantages and shortcomings were identified. After fully processing the information obtained during the meeting, the State Tax Service will be provided with information on improving accessibility in the premises of the new service.
01.10.2025
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Events
The future barrier-free route was tested in the Slavska community
Today, the future barrier-free route in the Slavska community was inspected. This is the third inspection of this type to be carried out this summer. Mykola Nadulychny, one of the representatives of the Barrier-Free Council at the Lviv Regional State Administration, noted that the main goal is not only to check the documentary requirements, but also to take into account the real needs of citizens. People in wheelchairs, people with visual impairments, and veterans with prosthetic limbs were involved, thanks to whom the route is becoming truly high-quality and undoubtedly convenient and safe for travel. Also, on the initiative of Mykola Nadulychny, local authorities fully experienced what it is like to travel in a wheelchair. Such actions help to make truly important and effective decisions and help to understand the extent of the problem from personal experience. The survey in the Slavska community was conducted as part of the flagship project of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, ‘Movement without Barriers,’ thanks to which a convenient and accessible route for all population groups will be created in each community. A barrier-free route is not just a flat road and a few ramps. It is a combination of all the key facilities used by residents and visitors to the city, the key facilities being: Educational institutions Medical facilities Shops Administrative service centres Public transport stops This is a huge list that could go on and on. We must understand that everything we use and every place we visit must be fully accessible to everyone. This survey is another step that has made us even more
13.09.2025
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News
For the first time in Ukraine — a standard for rehabilitation care for spinal cord injuries
On 8 September 2025, on World Physical Therapy Day, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine published a draft Standard for Rehabilitation Care for Spinal Cord Injuries. This is the first document of its kind in Ukrainian medicine, defining a unified approach to providing care for people with severe injuries. It was created not only by medical experts, but also by the patients themselves — those who overcome the consequences of their injuries every day and know the value of every step, every movement, every return to life. The new standard provides for: prioritising patient safety and dignity; the use of evidence-based practices and techniques; multidisciplinary interaction between specialists. This is not just a set of instructions. It is a language of compassion and responsibility that says, ‘We are with you. We will not leave you alone with your pain.’ The introduction of the standard integrates Ukrainian rehabilitation into global practice and, most importantly, gives thousands of people hope and real opportunities for recovery and a full life.
10.09.2025
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News
Lawyer nearby: mobile legal aid in communities
When the state remains silent and documents remain unprocessed. When a mother is tired of knocking on doors, and her child still has no certificate. When a family does not know where to start, but knows for sure that things cannot go on like this. That is when a lawyer should not wait, but come. As part of the ‘Protection, Health Care and Inclusion’ project, the LAOPD team, together with VIS , provides mobile legal assistance directly in communities in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. The focus is on families with children who are often left alone with legal confusion and the indifference of the system. Our lawyer: comes to the location; listens and explains; helps to draft statements, complaints and appeals; seeks solutions where it seems there are none. It is about dignity , trust and a genuine presence . Wherever injustice exists, we are always there for those who need protection.
07.09.2025
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News
Inclusive transport: dozens of trips in August
In August, dozens of trips were made to hospitals, pharmacies, social services, and schools . The demand for the service confirmed that it is truly necessary . Reminder: LAOPD , in partnership with VIS - Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo and with the support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund , provides free inclusive transportation for community residents. Geography of service provision: Zaporizhzhia region: Zaporizhzhia district. Dnipropetrovsk region: Synelnykivskyi, Nikopolskyi, Pavlohradskyi districts Who can use the service: families with children people who use wheelchairs elderly people, people aged 60+ / 75+ internally displaced persons (IDPs) residents who have difficulty moving around What the trip includes: transportation to hospitals, pharmacies, social services, educational or rehabilitation centres assistance with boarding and disembarking bus equipped with a lifting platform child car seats To make a booking, call: +380 96 621 37 31 You can also submit a request using the QR code in the image We would appreciate your feedback or via the QR code in the image Your feedback helps us improve our service and better respond to the needs of communities. We go where we are needed. Free of charge. Reliable. On time.
06.09.2025
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