On June 11, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine made a decision to allocate 115 million UAH for Odesa. The funds will go towards the implementation of the first phase of a barrier-free route, which will be the longest in Ukraine, including tram and pedestrian connections.
Overall, the project involves allocating over 1.1 billion UAH to 11 pilot communities for creating a barrier-free space as part of the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development "Movement Without Barriers", which is patronized by First Lady Olena Zelenska.
Recall that the mayor, Hennadiy Trukhanov, declared 2025 as the Year of Accessibility in Odesa. The city government, led by the mayor, is committed to creating an accessible environment through the establishment of a Barrier-Free Council, the adoption of a city program, and setting priorities across various areas: infrastructure, transport, rehabilitation, adaptive sports, digitalization, etc. The work is coordinated by the mayor's advisor on barrier-free space, Oleksiy Morozov.
According to Morozov, the effectiveness of this work is ensured by a strong team, which includes both specialized departments and veterans and people with disabilities who determine priorities and monitor the process.
"Just a year ago, Odesa residents couldn’t imagine that by the summer of 2025, our city would transform into a powerful rehabilitation center. Recently, a fully updated inclusive beach will open at the 11th station of the Big Fountain, and we are also launching a large inclusive sports area with adaptive fitness equipment. The process is moving quickly and smoothly," Morozov noted.
As part of the "Movement Without Barriers" project, Odesa is implementing the longest inclusive tram route "North-South". Additionally, an inclusive pedestrian route is planned, and work on its implementation is already actively underway.
The Barrier-Free Council conducts regular inspections, checking each stop, pedestrian crossing, entrance to buildings, and the condition of routes. Project ambassadors, including Valentina Khoruzha, 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 important that from initiative to implementation takes weeks, not years. Projects are not just left on paper, but brought to life, and I am very grateful to Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov for his full support of this crucial work," Morozov stated.
"Movement Without Barriers" is the flagship project of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, implemented within the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska "Without Barriers". The goal of the project is to create barrier-free routes in pilot communities: Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Lviv, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Slavutych, Kropyvnytskyi, Bucha, as well as in the villages of Opishnia and Borodianka.
