Disability Laws in Ukraine change‏

As tempting as it is to continue to cover the absolute farce that is the Tymoshenko trial, a farce that is compounded by the actions of Tymoshenko herself actually within a sitting courtroom, I like many people here are becoming tired of it. When something worthy of legal note occurs, I shall return to the matter, but in the meantime it serves no purpose to bore you even further with it.

Instead I will turn my attention to a subject closer to my heart that bypasses the polarised political figures all of whom seem to have no respect for the law when it involves themselves.

Interfax-Ukraine
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, plans to bring national legislation on the rights of disabled persons in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified by the Ukrainian parliament on December 16, 2009.

Some 278 out of 382 MPs registered in parliament’s session hall on Tuesday supported at first reading a bill on amendments to some legislative acts on the rights of disabled people.

According to the draft law, the laws of Ukraine on the basis of the social protection of disabled people in Ukraine are amended with new definitions, and the terms “disability” and “disabled person” are defined under new wording on the basis of a social rather than a medical model of disability.

The bill establishes that educational institutions render educational services to disabled persons at an equal level to other persons, through ensuring proper staff and technical provisions.

The document foresees that the state promotes the development of sign language. In particular, the draft law defines sign language as a natural language of persons with hearing disorders.

In addition, according to the bill, the state government agencies and local government agencies must ensure the training of employees of the social protection of the public, law enforcement agencies, fire safety agencies, rescue services, and health care establishments so that they can obtain the required skills in sign language.

Very good. Hopefully the disabled infrastructure in the four Ukrainian cities hosting the Euro 2012 football tournament will also see a dramatic improvement. The laws though, existing and new, are all too often ignored or at best randomly inforced, particularly when it comes to construction and design regulations for new commercial and accommodation building.

Granted there is occasionally little that can be done with 200 year old architectural wonders within many Ukrainian cities, but new build? Why a entrances still not wheelchair friendly? Why are doors still not made 20 centimeters wider to allow wheelchair access with ease? Why are there so few disabled toilets in new buildings……notwithstanding having them on the ground floor rather than upstairs which prohibits wheelchair access anyway.

Why are such simple things not enforced upon architects and construction companies in Ukraine as a matter of course rather than exception? There are no great cost differences when taking such things into account in a design and build if done sensibly.

Why do EU companies in Ukraine completely ignore the disability issues that would see them sued continuously in their home nations? Why do I write so many letters to EU company head offices having to point this fact out? Where is the Odessa authorities and what actions are they taking to address this issue where they can (particularly with new build)?

Come on people, some of you were voted for by disabled people who fought a very unfriendly physical environment to go and vote for you or your colleagues. Whilst it is not always possible to change historical buildings (at least with ease) it is certainly possible to change those under construction and yet to be built!