The Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine has published the results of the first comprehensive Barrier-Free Community Index study. The study focuses on determining the level of community development in all areas of accessibility set out in the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine by 2030.

The analytical report is available at the link

The assessment methodology was developed based on international approaches to measuring accessibility indices. For the 2025 study, four different types of community were selected from each region:

• an urban community with more than 100,000 residents,
• an urban community with 10,000 to 100,000 residents,
• a settlement community,
• a rural community.

A total of 97 communities were included in the study, including the Darnytsia and Obolon districts of Kyiv. Each community underwent a detailed survey covering eight key areas of accessibility: education; inclusive services; social cohesion; social, economic, digital and physical accessibility; and the participation of people with reduced mobility in community life.

‘Developing accessibility is about the systemic transformation of communities. It is not just about ramps or isolated solutions; it is about showing respect for people and improving quality of life in the community. The accessibility index provides a comprehensive picture of how well communities are coping with the task of creating accessible spaces for everyone. The study shows that communities that are already taking steps towards comprehensive change are achieving the best results. Even with limited resources, we see that progress is noticeable where there is a motivated team and a well-structured organisational structure. This tool will inform prioritisation and new management decisions, and help communities to plan their development based on data,’ said Nataliia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister.

According to the study, educational accessibility is currently the most developed area in communities.

However, the following areas need improvement:

• digital accessibility,
• civic participation of people with disabilities and other groups with limited mobility,
• physical accessibility, including infrastructure and transport accessibility.

Three communities demonstrated the highest level of accessibility: Lviv, Kyiv and Vinnytsia, which topped the ranking with a score of over 80 per cent. These communities are also pilot cities for the Ministry for Development’s flagship Barrier-Free Movement project, which is creating the first comprehensive barrier-free routes.

On the whole, urban communities achieved higher results than settlement and rural communities, primarily because they have more developed infrastructure and a wider range of services available.

The study also showed that a community’s organisational structure and human resources are key factors in developing accessibility, regardless of the level of budgetary support. Systematic coordination and a professional team can achieve real progress, even with limited financial resources.

The Ministry for Development plans to scale up the Barrier-Free Index to cover all communities in Ukraine – more than 1,000 in total – and conduct a series of training seminars on assessment and data collection methodologies. This will ensure a unified approach to, and accurate analysis of, the state of barrier-free access across the country.

The study was conducted in collaboration with the international technical assistance project ‘Recovery for All’ (RFA), implemented by Alinea International Ltd. with the support of the Government of Canada.