International White Cane Day: a symbol of seeing with your heart

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A person walks across a pedestrian crosswalk using a white cane, indicating visual impairment. They wear light-colored pants, a white shirt, and a dark vest. In the background, a stone building and several pedestrians on the sidewalk suggest an urban environment. The scene highlights independent mobility and accessibility for blind or visually impaired individuals in public spaces.

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

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

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