In addition to practical project work, the School of Accessibility offers an educational program that includes workshops, lectures, and case studies led by experts in the field of accessibility and inclusion. Each group of participants will be accompanied by a mentor who will help develop practical solutions in accordance with international standards of universal design, focusing on improving key sectors such as healthcare, education, public services, and culture.
As part of the school’s program, participants – architects, designers, urban planners, and engineers – will work in interdisciplinary teams to solve real-world problems to make public spaces, buildings, and services accessible to all, including people with disabilities.
As part of the training, 70 participants from across Ukraine were selected from over 300 applicants to work on real-world projects in 13 Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Rivne, Slavutych, Lviv, and Poltava. The selected projects cover a wide range of public spaces – healthcare facilities, schools, cultural heritage sites and government institutions – that will be designed to be accessible to all, including people with disabilities.
The UD School is an important response to the needs of post-war reconstruction in Ukraine, where thousands of people, including those with disabilities as a result of the war, now live in spaces that require inclusive and sustainable reconstruction. The school aims to provide participants with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge needed to integrate universal design principles into reconstruction processes, ensuring that new and reconstructed structures are barrier-free.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine Christoforos Politis stressed the crucial role of the school in Ukraine’s reconstruction: “The launch of the Universal Design School could not have come at a more crucial time,” said Christoforos Politis. “As Ukraine embarks on the challenging journey of rebuilding war-torn cities and communities, we have a unique opportunity to ensure that inclusion is at the heart of these efforts. Universal design is not just technical guidelines, it is a philosophy that puts people’s needs first in planning and development. Whether it’s a hospital, a school, or a cultural facility, our goal is to create spaces where everyone can live and thrive with dignity.”
Tetyana Lomakina, Advisor and Commissioner to the President of Ukraine on Accessibility, emphasized the significant impact of universal design in today’s environment: “Every space has one goal — to provide the opportunity to live, work, study, relax, buy products — basic activities that are accessible to everyone without exception. Universal design takes into account the diversity of people and their basic needs, offering solutions that make the space not only inclusive, but also fair,” said Tetyana Lomakina. – We must understand that universal design, like accessibility, is not a whim or an additional function, but a requirement for the developer. It is about social responsibility in communities, about a strategic approach to the development of Ukraine, about the consistent transformation of spaces and society.
The UD School will last until December 2024, ending with the presentation of the final projects. It is expected that these projects will leave a significant mark on the process of rebuilding Ukraine, offering real, affordable solutions that will improve the quality of life of all citizens, regardless of their physical capabilities.
During this initiative, a presentation was made by Artem Goncharenko, who represented the veteran space of the Institute for Reintegration, Rehabilitation and Professional Development of Veterans “Architecture of Sustainability” of the Kyiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. In his presentation, he shared his experience working with veterans, their integration into inclusive projects, and the importance of architectural solutions that, within the school, can be developed by participants and implemented in veterans’ spaces, aimed at ensuring accessibility and adaptation of urban space for all citizens, including veterans.
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The School of Universal Design is organized within the framework of the UNDP project “Mine Action in Ukraine” with financial support from the Government of Sweden.
For media inquiries: Yulia Samus, Head of Communications, UNDP in Ukraine, yuliia.samus@undp.org
