The Decentralisation portal is launching a series of articles on community initiatives that make public spaces and services more accessible to all residents. The first example is the development of a barrier-free beach in Odesa, where, thanks to the joint efforts of the city authorities and community activists, people with disabilities can not only relax by the sea but also take part in sporting activities.

This article is based on information from the page of the Advisor – Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment.

People use community services not only when they visit a doctor, sort out paperwork or pursue an education. Recreation and leisure also require accessible facilities. For the residents of Odesa, this means, in particular, being able to spend time by the sea without hindrance and make use of the beach facilities.

Just a few years ago, for Odesa resident Andrii Boiarskyi, who has been living with a disability for over 20 years, such a holiday was far from easy.

‘On the coast at the 11th station of Velykyi Fontan, there was only one specialised bathing chair, which often broke down. It was impossible to get in or out of the water unaided. Sometimes it simply put me off going to the seaside,’ says Andrii.

The situation has now changed. The beach has been fitted out with ramps, accessible toilets and showers, a first-aid post, and a protective shelter. For people with visual impairments, tactile guides, audible signals to aid navigation, and a map of the area have been provided. The number of bathing chairs and staff available to accompany and assist visitors has been increased.

Attention was also paid to making the beach a comfortable place to be: a solid, two-level walkway was laid, wooden benches were installed, and a room was created for storing equipment and for sports activities.

Experience has shown that accessibility requires not only new solutions, but also a willingness to improve them. The first ramps were made from substandard steel and had the wrong angle of inclination, which meant they quickly fell into disrepair. They are now made from Italian stainless steel, which does not heat up in the sun, and the design has been calculated to take seasonal changes in water levels into account.

According to Oleh Prokhorov, Chairman of the Board of the NGO “Odessa-Basket Sports Club for People with Disabilities”, the renovation of the beach was the result of long-term cooperation between community activists and the city authorities. Andrii’s story clearly illustrates how this has changed visitors’ everyday experience:

‘Now all I need is some free time and the desire to go to the seaside. And thanks to the accessible beach, I can even play sport here,’ he says.

It is important that Odesa’s experience is already extending beyond the city's boundaries. Experts from Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kyiv are liaising with the developers of the beach to use similar solutions in their own communities. Meanwhile, in Odesa, there are plans to continue work on improving access to the city's beaches, in particular to improve conditions in Luzanivka.

The project “Enhancing the Accessibility of Public Services and Communication in Communities” is implemented by CERR with the support of the “Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine”, which is funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Estonia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Switzerland and Sweden.