Donetsk is one of the Ukrainian cities with the best facilities for disabled people. However, it is still far behind Europe

A couple of years ago getting around the city was like a snake game for disabled and aged people and young moms, as they could move only along a certain trajectory. Despite the fact that today Donetsk still cannot be compared to any European city, where accessibility is a usual thing, a lot has changed there over the past year. It should be noted that these changes have been made with minimum expenses.

“The main rule we are using in our work is accessibility. We have always upheld the idea that any changes should be as economical as possible. If we can get by with a low border, pedestrian crossing with sound or a road hump, it should be done. It does not require that much money,” Larysa SAIEVYCH, president of an agency for social partnership in Ukraine told The Day.

“I recently came from an all-Ukrainian conference where I reported about the changes in Donetsk. Believe me, we have a lot to be proud of. For example, we resolved a problem with minimum technologies and means. We had to help blind people use elevators properly. We did a very simple thing – we stuck a special panel with gibbous numbers next to usual numbers. Ukraine applauded to this decision. Besides, we actively cooperated with local authorities and it allowed us to participate in the construction of the railway station. First of all, there were tactile paths before pedestrian crossings, there are also rampants, etc. Of course, they must be all over the city as not only people with poor eyesight or riding wheelchairs need them. In the evening and at night we all become bind and cannot see the quality of roads and borders. Moms with baby carriages also need help as their movement is limited,” Saievych says.

Of course, a lot of projects were timed to the European Football Championship. The railway station was restored before Euro-2012, as well as monitoring to create special maps. The Day has already published materials about commenting football matches using special method for blind people. Girls who participated in this program could go on with it. However, there are several “buts.” The first one is that people do not understand the necessity of such innovations. Clubs do not hurry to introduce them. Despite that stadiums have kept all the equipment, their owners do not think that football matches should be commented for blind people as well. According to Saievych, they still do not understand that blind people are also football fans who want to enjoy the game in full. The second aspect is financial. Simultaneous commenting, still unclear for many people, is not in vacancy lists at stadiums. Many people still have to realize that the world can get more accessible.

Numerous studies done before Euro-2012 showed that restaurateurs, owners and designers of hotels hardly ever think that disabled people might be among their clients. For example, out of a large number of checked restaurants only one McDonald’s restaurant met the requirements. Donbass Palace turned to be the most comfortable hotel and the new Shakhtar Plaza has similar conditions.

One of the achievements of the current year is the opening of Invataxi, public transport for wheelchair-bound people. Such cars appeared in August with the support of Rinat Akhmetov’s Foundation for Development of Ukraine. It should be noted that it is free for disabled people.

“These are only isles,” Saievych says, “and it is important to connect them.” In Moscow during the action called Accessible City famous people (journalists, writers, and public activists) moved into wheelchairs to check if it was possible to get around in Moscow this way. Their impressions were different, however, essential is that they realized the problem of a large group of people and what should be changed to improve the city. It is senseless to urge Donetsk local authorities, MPs, officials, owners of restaurants, hotels, clubs, and galleries to change their Porches, Mercedes, and Lexus cars for wheelchairs to change their attitude towards people. It is rather a utopia. However, it is very important to become more open-minded. It is good that the situation is improving. It would be nice to live in a city where there is not only the best stadium and water park, it should be a better place to live in for everyone.