The feeling that the city belongs to everyone — that is what BARRIER-FREE means.
Not only physical accessibility, but also respect, understanding, and inclusion.
This thesis was key during our event — ‘Barrier-Free Check-Up.’
We often hear about accessibility in terms of ramps and tactile paving. And that's important, but it's not enough❗️
Accessibility is when a person in a wheelchair can easily enter a café, and a person with visual impairment can walk around the city independently, using tactile paving for orientation. It is when we know how to communicate correctly with people who have certain characteristics and are not afraid to do so.
The event was attended by people who wanted not just to listen, but to experience it for themselves.
Participants tried using a white cane and a wheelchair. This experience teaches us to see the city not only from the perspective of a pedestrian, but also through the prism of the needs of others, which is the first step towards creating an inclusive society.
During the panel discussion, youth activists discussed how to make their activities and, ultimately, society as a whole, more open and accessible. After all, accessibility begins with small steps: with the realisation that everyone has the right to an independent life and with the desire to create such an environment.
Thank you for joining the panel discussion:
• Director of the Youth Residence Municipal Cultural Institution - Svitlana Oleksiychuk
• Head of the Youth Centre - Igor Sakhar
• Olga Bosovyk, Chair of the Youth Council at the Cherkasy Regional Council
• Yana Melnyk, Chair of the Youth Parliament at the Municipal Council
• Social activist, Chair of the NGO FAM and the NGO "Chernivtsi Cyclists Association"
We believe that the event was a great opportunity to realise that accessibility is not something distant and incomprehensible. It is something we create together every day when we leave our homes, communicate with people, and simply live in the city.
It is not only about access to buildings, but also about access to opportunities, communication, and independent living.
The Barrier-Free Check-Up event was organised by the Chernivtsi Association ‘Zahyst’ with the support of IM Swedish Development Partner.
