Lviv to become barrier free

Lviv City Council’s Executive Council will no longer give the go-ahead for any building designs which are not adapted for people with disabilities. The decision was taken by the City Council following a discussion of a Programme for creating a barrier free environment for people with special needs.

The measures envisaged are not confined to new buildings.  They also include the purchase of trolleybuses with a low step, the instalment of special phones for people in wheelchairs, the designation of parking places as for disabled access and others. The Deputy Mayor told the Ukrainian Service of Deutsche Welle that in general organizations representing people with special needs are positive in their assessment of Lviv in comparison with Ukraine’s other regional centres.  He emphasized, however: “We don’t want to equal those cities where the situation is worse, but take example at least from neighbouring Poland”. He mentioned that representatives of UEFA will be monitoring how well adapted Lviv buildings are for disabled people’s needs as part of their general check of Lviv readiness for “Euro-2012”