The annual Interregional “Life without Barriers” Forum was held on 4-5 December for discussion of the development of inclusion and accessibility in eastern Ukraine, the challenges facing people with disabilities, and the search for joint solutions to overcome them.
Held for the first time online this year, the forum was organized under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, with financial support from the governments of Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands.
The topic of inclusion in Ukraine is still an urgent one, as the physical infrastructure in the east and in Ukraine remains inaccessible and does not meet the key needs of people with disabilities and other low-mobility groups. With the COVID-19 pandemic, this problem has only worsened.
The annual forum aims to once again draw public attention to the problems of people with disabilities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and together with national and international partners find effective solutions for building inclusive infrastructure in communities in the east and all across Ukraine.
The forum also provided an opportunity to summarize the results of joint work over the year, and the partners had the opportunity to share their impressions and ideas for further cooperation with the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme.
The coordinator of the Social Cohesion and Community Security Component of the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, Rustam Pulatov, said that building an inclusive environment in Ukraine requires comprehensive and long-term solutions, and providing assistance and support to people with disabilities is a top priority of the programme.
“This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine restrictions due to the rapid spread of the virus in Ukraine and around the world, the issue of building inclusion has become particularly acute,” Pulatov said. “We are well aware that quarantine restrictions have made it much more difficult for people in general to live a normal life, and the difficulties in the lives of people with disabilities have increased significantly. This year’s forum is a confident step towards building an inclusive society in Ukraine that would be as comfortable and accessible as possible for all, leaving no one behind.”
