On March 29 2024, a meeting of the Barrier-Free Council was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal with the participation of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska. Traditionally, the event was supported by the Council of Europe project "Enhanced social protection in Ukraine".
Government representatives, heads of specialised committees of the Parliament of Ukraine, representatives of embassies and international organisations, heads of regional military administrations, representatives of territorial communities and civil society also took part in the meeting.
The event was devoted to practices of implementing barrier-free solutions in communities. The heads of Rivne, Slavutych, Vinnytsia and Opishnia communities, and representatives of civil society shared their experience and emphasised the growing demand for barrier-free routes, spaces and services.
It is important for cities, towns, and villages to be involved in the state barrier-free policy, understand its content and tasks, accept responsibility, and participate in its implementation. To do this, priorities, tools, communication channels should be clear and understandable for everyone.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal noted that the government of Ukraine is ready to work together with territorial communities to create accessible spaces, public services, and information. "Barrier-free access is more important now than ever, and this should be reflected in the strategic documents of both ministries and territorial communities. By our decisions and, most importantly, by our actions, we demonstrate to Ukrainian men and women that they are important for their state, for their city and for their community", — said Prime Minister of Ukraine Mr Denys Shmyhal.
During the meeting of the Barrier-Free Council, new flagship projects of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and the National Bank of Ukraine were presented.
The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska also presented the Barrier-Free Events Guide which contains practical solutions for preparing and conducting online and offline events, including during wartime.
The Council of Europe project "Enhanced social protection in Ukraine" provides assistance in the implementation of the National Strategy for the creation of a barrier-free environment in Ukraine by 2030; in particular, expert support for monitoring the implementation of its Action Plans.
The National Strategy for the creation of a barrier-free environment in Ukraine for the period until 2030 was developed within the framework of the initiative "Barriers-Free" of the First Lady Ms Olena Zelenska which was approved by the Government in April 2021.
