On 24 September, an open presentation and discussion took place in Kyiv on the draft Law of Ukraine “On the Basic Principles of State Policy for the Creation of a Barrier-Free Society in Ukraine”. Ulyana Pcholkina, Chair of the Board of “The League of the Strong” public organisation, took part in a panel discussion on what exactly the law should guarantee for individuals.
During the event, the proposed model for state policy on accessibility was presented and discussed with representatives of government bodies, civil society and veterans’ organisations, organisations for people with disabilities, the business sector and the expert community. The key theme of the event was “Testing the law against human experience”.
Ulyana Pcholkina emphasised that the main criterion for the effectiveness of the future law should not be the number of institutions or documents created, but the extent to which it changes people’s everyday lives.
“For a person with a disability, the outcome of this law should not be a new fund, strategy, body or report, but a real reduction in barriers. And if a barrier does arise, the person must understand who is responsible for removing it and when,” she noted.
Among the key issues raised by the Chair of the Board of “The League of the Strong” were preventing the emergence of new barriers, mechanisms for removing existing ones, the realisation of the right to reasonable accommodation, and oversight and accountability.
In particular, she believes that the accessibility of new buildings, transport, digital services and information systems must be taken into account right from the planning and implementation stages. For existing barriers, accessibility assessments, a plan for their removal, clear deadlines, designated responsible persons and sources of funding are required.
Ulyana Pcholkina drew particular attention to the practical implementation of the right to reasonable accommodation. A person must receive a response to their request within a specified timeframe, and in the event of a refusal, they must be provided with a reasoned decision and the opportunity to appeal against it.
“The key test of this law is simple. Once it comes into force, people must be granted not merely a government policy on accessibility, but a genuine right. This right must be matched by a specific duty; this duty by a specific responsible party; and every breach by a clear means of redress. Only then will accessibility gradually become the standard practice for the state, local authorities and service providers,” emphasised Ulyana Pcholkina.
The Ministry is to compile and review the results of the discussion of the proposal and the participants’ comments.
