As part of the project ‘Restoring Lives and Expanding Service Opportunities in War-Affected Ukraine,’ the team at the Luhansk Association of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities continues to visit communities that are implementing changes despite all the challenges of war.

The LAOPD's approach is based not only on providing assistance, but also on comprehensive work with people, institutions and spaces — where services focused on human needs are being developed.

Kharkiv has become one of the key points on the route. A working meeting was held in the city with Deputy Mayor Yuriy Shparaga and Director of the Department of Inclusive Accessibility and Barrier-Free Environment of the Kharkiv City Council Oleg Pulem — the head of Ukraine's first municipal body that systematically implements the principles of inclusion in the urban environment.

Yuriy Shparaga is an official who is open to partnerships and life-changing solutions. It was his willingness to take action that made it possible to agree on specific steps to support people with disabilities and upgrade the city's infrastructure.

Oleg Pul is not just the head of the department, but a driver of change who consistently implements barrier-free policies at the city level. His participation in the meeting was proof that Kharkiv is committed to real action, not formal promises.

The following was agreed upon as a result of the meeting:

• 50 private households of people with disabilities will receive financial assistance to make their homes accessible (ramps, handrails, entrance adaptations, etc.);
• The Kharkiv Social Services Centre will receive support to renovate its premises to make them comfortable and accessible for all categories of visitors;
• Polyclinic No. 14 has been included in a renovation programme focusing on physical accessibility, infrastructure improvements and the creation of comfortable conditions for patients with reduced mobility.

All these actions are being implemented with the support of Solidar Suisse, an international partner that invests not only in infrastructure, but above all in human dignity and rights.

Recovery is not a return to the old. It is the construction of something new, where equality, accessibility and respect for human beings are the foundation for the future.