In 2024, the public organization “Center for Expert Solutions and Advocacy”, supported by the Council of Europe throug the project “Strengthening social protection in Ukraine”, organized a series of events to promote accessibility and inclusion policies in Ukraine.

“The project was implemented by the Center for Expert Solutions and Advocacy in cooperation with the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Social Policy, and the Advisor-Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Barrier-Free Issues. It became one of the first systematic efforts to disseminate information among Ukrainian communities about the directions of the National Barrier-Free Strategy”, said Anton Yanchenko, Executive Director of the Center for Expert Solutions and Advocacy (CESA).

The grant project “Barrier-Free Literacy” aimed to strengthen social rights and develop mechanisms for creating a barrier-free environment in Ukraine, particularly in the context of Russia's military aggression.

Key Achievements of the Project

1. Assessment of Territorial Communities: As part of the project, a comprehensive assessment was conducted of over 1,000 territorial communities in Ukraine regarding the implementation of local barrier-free environment strategies. According to the data collected, 28% of the communities have already approved relevant strategic documents, highlighting significant regional and local differences in the implementation of barrier-free policies.
2. Conducting Informational Webinars: As part of the project, a series of thematic webinars were organized for representatives of local authorities, focusing on key aspects of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine and providing practical examples of its implementation at the local level. In total, 11,854 participants attended the webinars. 

The webinar recordings can be viewed at the following link:

• Webinar “Physical Accessibility: Challenges and Solutions for Communities”
• Webinar “Digital Accessibility: Challenges and Solutions for Communities”
• Webinar “Informational Accessibility: Accessible and Ethical Communications”
• Webinar “Education Without Barriers”
• Webinar “Social and Civic Accessibility”
• Webinar “Economic Accessibility: Challenges and Solutions for Communities”

3. Information Campaign “Barrier-Free Literacy”: From April to August 2024, a large-scale information campaign was conducted to raise awareness among key target groups, including activists, representatives of non-governmental organizations, local authorities, and public servants by sharing information about the available tools that can already be used in practice. The campaign reached 82,992 users on social media and included a series of educational publications that explained the concept of a barrier-free environment and encouraged citizens to actively participate in its development.

Delays in coordination with certain local authorities due to security issues and power outages in some regions resulted in the postponement of the information campaign's launch by one month. However, thanks to a flexible management approach, all key activities were completed on time, and the task was successfully accomplished.

“Experts from the project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Policy, conducted an analysis to determine which Ukrainian communities have their own strategic documents for developing a barrier-free space. It was found that about a quarter of the communities have already adopted such strategies, while others have yet to do so. This information is crucial for monitoring the effectiveness of state policy in this area, as changes at the local level have the most tangible impact on people’s lives. A community's barrier-free strategy is a plan that ensures, for example, that a person using crutches can easily access a hospital and a store, a child with special educational needs can learn in a supportive environment alogside peers in a regular school, and older adults and parents with children can easily obtain necessary services – either in person at the administrative services center, at the village council, or online. Therefore, local strategies are essential. Additionally, we believe we conducted successful webinars, and the communities showed great interest in the topic. We received excellent feedback from many cities and amalgamated territorial communities (ATCs). I hope the focus on barrier-free access will not diminish, and that more and more Ukrainian communities will chart their own path toward a barrier-free society. As representatives of civil society, we will continue to assist them in this effort”, notes Anton Yanchenko, Executive Director of the Center for Expert Solutions and Advocacy (CESA).

The Council of Europe project “Enhanced social protection in Ukraine” is being implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023-2026, with the aim of improving social protection for vulnerable groups, particularly those affected by the war.