Enhancing Accessibility in Odesa
On June 11, the Ukrainian government approved a decision to allocate 115 million UAH for Odesa. The funds will be used to implement the first phase of the accessibility route — the longest in Ukraine, which will include tram and pedestrian connections.
The flagship project of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, "Movement without Barriers," anticipates over 1.1 billion UAH for 11 pilot communities to create accessible spaces. This project is supported by the First Lady, Olena Zelenska.
It is worth noting that the mayor of Odesa, Hennadiy Trukhanov, declared 2025 as the Year of Accessibility in the city. The city authorities, led by the mayor, are committed to creating an inclusive environment, having formed a Council for Accessibility, adopted a city program, and set priorities in various directions: infrastructure, transport, rehabilitation, adaptive sports, and digitalization. The work is coordinated by the mayor's advisor on accessibility, Oleksiy Morozov.
According to Morozov, the effectiveness of this initiative is ensured by a strong team, including veterans and people with disabilities, who determine priorities and oversee each stage.
"Just a year ago, Odesites couldn’t imagine that by the summer of 2025, our city would turn into a major rehabilitation center. Soon, a completely renovated inclusive beach will open at the 11th station of the Great Fountain, and we are also launching a large inclusive sports playground with adaptive equipment. The process is moving quickly and smoothly," Morozov said.
As part of the "Movement without Barriers" project, Odesa is implementing the longest inclusive tram route, "North-South." Additionally, an inclusive pedestrian route is being created, with work already underway.
The Council for Accessibility conducts systematic field inspections, checking each stop, pedestrian crossing, building entrance, and the state of routes. Project ambassadors, including Valentina Khoruha, who heads the Youth Council in the city, are involved in this work.
"Such coordination allows us to effectively meet the existing needs for accessible infrastructure. It is crucial that from initiative to implementation takes weeks, not years. Projects are not left on paper but brought to life. I am very grateful to Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov for his full support of this vital work," Morozov noted.
"Movement without Barriers" is a flagship project of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, carried out under the initiative of the First Lady Olena Zelenska, "Without Barriers." The project aims to create accessible routes in pilot communities: Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Lviv, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Slavutych, Kropyvnytskyi, Bucha, and in the villages of Opishnya and Borodyanka.
