Bucha has become one of four pilot communities whose experience will help shape Ukraine’s national barrier-free action plan for 2027–2028. The community will show how to build in accessibility while rebuilding after the fighting.

This was reported by Bucha City Council.

The communities’ experience was gathered at a dialogue event called “Barrier-free in communities: different conditions, effective solutions”. Participants talked not only about accessible buildings and transport, but also about how people can study, work and take part in community life.

The event was held together with Tetiana Lomakina, Adviser and Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Barrier-Free Issues, with the support of the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine.

According to Lomakina, the new plan has to take communities’ capacities into account. That is why the views of participants in these dialogues are being collected, to see the different conditions and possible solutions.

What Bucha is already doing

Bucha is also one of the pilot communities of the national Movement Without Barriers project. The town is building its first barrier-free route: the whole first phase is 3.6 km long, and the first stage is Enerhetykiv Street, 0.93 km long.

Enerhetykiv Street is to get a pedestrian zone with limited traffic, tactile strips, safety islands, a cycle lane and parking for people with disabilities. All 32 businesses along this section have signed memoranda and agreed to adapt their premises.

The reconstruction of the street has, however, been delayed: in early October the city council offered the general contractor to terminate the contracts because the work is behind schedule.

How the current plan is going

Ministries have completed half of the current national plan for 2025–2026: 627 of 1,263 measures by the end of September. The regions and Kyiv have completed 65%, the government said.

As a reminder, Borodianka has presented a guide called 10 Simple Steps for making buildings accessible.

Nota bene

Bucha FM is an independent news site and station for the Bucha district. We cover what matters to the community, and we work for you — and because of you. Joining the people who make this possible is simple: support us with any amount.

Support the station