On 1 June 2026, the webinar “The national strategy for creating a barrier-free environment in Ukraine until 2030 as a state policy” was held as part of the Council of Europe HELP tutored course “Rights of people with disabilities”. The course aims to strengthen the capacities of civil servants in ensuring the rights of people with disabilities in line with European standards.
The main presentation was delivered by Iryna Tekuchova, Council of Europe national consultant and expert of the Fight for Right CSO. In her presentation, she examined international and regional standards on the rights of people with disabilities, including the provisions of the European Social Charter, as well as key European Union recommendations on strengthening the protection of the rights of people with disabilities in national legislation.
Special attention was paid to the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine until 2030, which is being implemented by public authorities across six areas: physical, informational, social and civic, economic, educational, and digital.
The webinar focused on economic accessibility and the employment of people with disabilities. Participants discussed contemporary approaches to creating an inclusive labour market, the advantages and disadvantages of employment quotas, the removal of barriers to employment, and ensuring equal access to professional fulfilment in accordance with European standards, including the provision of reasonable accommodation.
The event contributed to enhancing civil servants' understanding of international standards relating to the rights of people with disabilities and the objectives of the National Barrier-Free Strategy.
The course is organised in cooperation with the National School of Judges of Ukraine, the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, and the High School of Public Governance, with the support of the Council of Europe projects “HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) for Ukraine including during wartime” and “Strengthening the social dimension in Ukraine”, implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023-2026.
The HELP course “Rights of Persons with Disabilities” is also available on the HELP Platform in a self-learning format. To date, 27 027 Ukrainian legal professionals have registered on the HELP Platform. Currently, 47 HELP courses are available in Ukrainian on the platform, and the full course catalogue can be accessed via the link.
