29 October 2026
(PHOTO: Intent)
New curb cuts, a lack of tactile paving, steep stairs in pharmacies, and ramps at extreme angles. Intent journalists walked the Odesa tourist route together with a representative of the Government Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the Odesa Regional State Administration and Oleg Sokolov, the accessibility ambassador. They checked to see if the city had changed over the past year. Oksana Kondratyuk, an expert on accessibility and inclusive solutions at the “League of the Strong” public organization, also helped us understand the systemic issues surrounding accessibility and ways to address them.
Read on to learn about the accessibility assessment for Odesa establishments, new barrier-free routes for veterans, and why emergency call buttons no longer work in the rain.
Sunny autumn in Odesa after the rain. Together with Oleg Sokolov, we decided to look at our beloved city through the eyes of tourists. To assess accessibility, we chose a popular route: from Soborna Square to “Pasazh” and then along Deribasovskaya Street. A year ago, Oleg, along with a guide, veterans, and people with disabilities, had already walked through the city center. “We used this route to identify the shortcomings the first time around and determine where to lower the curbs,” Oleg explained. So let’s see what has changed over the past year. The first improvements are noticeable: the city’s public works department has installed curb cuts that allow for a smooth transition from the street.
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The journey begins at Soborna Square. PHOTO: Intent
“Physical accessibility isn’t just about people in wheelchairs,” emphasizes Oleg Sokolov. “It’s also about people with low vision.” There must be tactile paving at the start of every crosswalk, and traffic lights must have audible signals. As we explore the route, we seek advice and recommendations from everyone: people in wheelchairs, the visually impaired, and people with amputations. The other day I was at an event where they said: if we can go beyond just formally checking compliance with DBN standards and actually make use of the space—if a person can safely get there, cross the street, and use a service—that means accessibility is working.
- What do you pay attention to first and foremost in the city? What are your indicators of accessibility?
- Overall, I want our city to simply be accessible, without barriers. In Europe, the very term “barrier-free” isn’t very clear, because they believe there simply shouldn’t be any barriers. People should be independent. But call buttons are a thing of the past—they don’t work the way they should. We walk the streets with city officials, testing the public spaces. Some businesses are actively working to create an inclusive environment, while others pay no attention to it at all. You often see a restaurant where, instead of a ramp or a proper entrance, they’ve slapped on a call button. For example, they serve pelmeni or soups. So, am I supposed to press a button so they’ll bring me a plate of mashed potatoes with a cutlet out onto the street in the rain? That’s absurd.
With that said, we approach the next establishment on our route. At the entrance is a gentle ramp, next to a call button with Braille and the word “Aurora.” We called over the staff and thanked them for their thoughtful approach. The same cannot be said about the neighboring establishment. The ramp is merely nominal— a wheelchair cannot roll up it.
Next door is a shawarma café that recently celebrated its founder’s birthday with great fanfare on social media. However, the establishment itself is completely inaccessible. We call over the manager. She has no answers to our questions.
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PHOTO: Intent
“I want to get inside. How can I do that?” Oleg asks. “I’m a government representative working for the Cabinet of Ministers at the Odesa Regional State Administration; I advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.” Take a photo of my business card and pass it on to management. If the owner calls and promises to fix the situation, we’ll give him a chance. And if not, we’ll make him very famous.
We move on. We enter “Passage.” From the Deribasovskaya side, we come across a ramp with an extremely steep incline. Although the location allows for a gentle ramp with an acceptable 8-degree angle for those in wheelchairs and parents with children in strollers.
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PHOTO: Intent
Deribasivska Street greets us pleasantly with a lowered curb, but without any tactile paving. “There should also be Braille here so that a person with a white cane can sense the direction,” Oleg emphasized. We’re approaching the “Lviv Coffee Manufactory.” It has a convenient, ground-level entrance without a ramp, wide doors, and a friendly barista who confirmed that they do have visitors in wheelchairs.
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PHOTO: Intent
Along the way, we’re testing other locations. Near one of the “Gaevsky Pharmacy” chain’s locations, we stop right across from the entrance. The ramp here is just for show, because even Oleg, with his physical fitness, can’t get in. We called over an employee to talk. She asked us to contact management. “They say that all your pharmacies in Odesa are accessible and inclusive. But something’s wrong here. We’ll fix it,” says Oleg.
Oksana Kondratyuk, an expert on accessibility and inclusive solutions at the “League of the Strong” public organization:
“Installing a call button cannot be considered ensuring accessibility. It’s about the ability to access a service independently. For pharmacies, licensing requirements explicitly mandate ensuring accessibility in accordance with the State Building Standards (DBN). But according to the results of a survey of over 1,300 pharmacies, only 23.3% were deemed barrier-free. It’s harder to influence private businesses than municipal institutions, but ensuring accessibility isn’t a matter of the owner’s goodwill—it’s the law. One of the most promising approaches is for communities to develop co-funding programs, under which businesses receive partial reimbursement for adaptation costs, provided they comply with building codes.”
Let’s move on. Along the way, we come across the inaccessible “Europa” shopping center and the “United Colors of Benetton” clothing store with its towering stairs. “McDonald’s” impressed us with its tactile paving, convenient wide entrance, and Braille signage.
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PHOTO: Intent
We don’t stop for coffee because we’re heading to inspect the new “Vivat” bookstore. The store doesn’t have a ramp, but the entrance threshold exceeds the permissible two centimeters. We meet two friendly employees. Oleg suggests: “If you put a mat here to create a small ramp, I’ll be able to roll in. Someone with weak arms would have a hard time getting in.” After our visit, the girls set about measuring the threshold and searching online for a mat.
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PHOTO: Intent
Let’s summarize our experiment.
- Oleg, you’ve been using a wheelchair for over 40 years. How has Odessa changed during this time, and has it truly become more accessible?
- Of course. There’s positive progress; the city is changing. However, most of my concerns still revolve around businesses. As long as it doesn’t personally affect someone, people often don’t stop to think that every establishment should be accessible for independent visits. Although, overall, Odesa is now among the top five cities in Ukraine that are most actively moving toward accessibility.
- How would you assess the changes on this specific tourist route over the past year?
- The municipal route itself—with its sidewalks and crosswalks—has indeed improved. But what does an accessible route mean in its entirety? A person should be able to get off a trolleybus or tram, walk unimpeded to a theater, café, or pharmacy, and enter freely. If the sidewalk is perfect but all the establishments around it are blocked by stairs, the route cannot be called barrier-free.
Oksana Kondratyuk, “League of the Strong” Public Association:
“The route-based approach allows us to work with the environment as a whole. People don’t teleport from point A to point B. To get to a hospital or a store, a person must travel a route that begins at their home. In 2025, the Ministry of Community Development launched the ‘Barrier-Free Movement’ project. It’s important to start not just with administrative service centers or hospitals, but with everyday routes: to work, to the store, to public transportation stops. The first priority route should serve as the foundation for developing the city’s entire network.”
- So, does that mean a person with a disability is still forced to plan every step in detail while still at home?
- Unfortunately, yes. You have to figure everything out: where there are ramps at bus stops, whether low-floor buses run there, whether the driver will help, and whether you’ll ultimately be able to get to the movie theater or restaurant you’ve chosen.
- You’re an athlete in excellent physical shape. But what challenges do those who have only recently started using a wheelchair or undergone an amputation face?
- For them, it’s extremely stressful. And that’s exactly why the main routes from hospitals, social services offices, administrative service centers, and clinics must be completely barrier-free. A blind person, someone with a prosthetic limb, or a person in a wheelchair should be able to get around without assistance.
I deliberately go out into the city on my own every day—both to work and to run errands. This draws public attention. Many of our wounded soldiers and veterans are now returning from the front lines. We owe them great respect and gratitude. But many of them—as well as civilians with disabilities—are still effectively trapped in their own apartments on upper floors because they cannot even go outside, pick up their child from school, or simply take a walk. We must change this.
- What accessible routes are currently being developed in Odesa?
- I am an ambassador for the project to create an accessible route from Kishinevska Street to the regional hospital. We regularly visit the area, conduct inspections, and work with local businesses to ensure they adapt their entrances. The second large-scale project is an accessible route from French Boulevard through the city center to the train station. People should be able to comfortably get from their homes to the train station or the hospital.
- To sum up: where does Odessa currently stand in terms of accessibility? What percentage of the city is accessible?
- We weren’t able to get into a pharmacy today. That’s not normal. After all, different segments of the population need medication.
We now have a City Council for Accessibility, so we can directly point out specific issues to the authorities. Municipal services are responding and making improvements in the right direction. Odessa is definitely moving forward. Of course, there’s still a huge amount of work ahead, especially regarding businesses and transportation, but we’re making progress. And most importantly—we need to stop writing shameful phrases about “people with physical disabilities” on minibuses. No one has limited them. The only limitations come from the barriers in the city, which we are now working together to remove.
Oksana Kondratyuk, “League of the Strong” Public Organization:
“An inaccessible environment directly affects the psychological well-being and reintegration of veterans. How can we even talk about reintegration if a person can’t leave their home on their own or go out for a cup of coffee? Reintegration consists precisely of such everyday details and social interactions. The top priority today is not to create new standards, but to ensure the actual implementation of existing DBN requirements. Our goal is to create conditions for independent living and the full participation of every person in society.”
A model accessibility program was developed with the support of the “Partnership for a Strong Ukraine” (PFRU), which is funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Estonia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden.
This publication was prepared with the support of the “League of the Strong” public association and the “Partnership for a Strong Ukraine” (PFRU) Program.
The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the editorial staff and does not necessarily reflect the views of the “Partnership for a Strong Ukraine” (PFRU) Program or the governments of the countries that fund it. The editorial team independently determines the content of the material and is responsible for adhering to journalistic standards.
Ольга Лопатюк