Ministries presented the progress and transformation of flagship accessibility projects during a meeting of the National Council on Barrier-Free Access.
Specifically, Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Vitaliy Kim presented the implementation status of three Ministry of Veterans Affairs flagship projects: Formula for a worthy return to civilian life, focused on building a comprehensive support system for veterans; Development of sports for veterans, aimed at recovery, adaptation, and return to active life; and Barrier-Free veteran spaces, establishing support hubs nationwide.
He also introduced the updated initiative Unified system of barrier-free support for veterans and veteranas, through which the agency is combining and transforming its initiatives into a new generalized flagship project.
According to the report, key tasks for the near future include: conducting community audits to assess actual service accessibility and local veteran policy implementation (which will reinforce the work of 1,300 regional barrier-free commissioners); ensuring the full operation and quality outfitting of the state veteran spaces network; updating the support system model; and developing regulations for improved veteran nutrition in healthcare facilities.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine presented the results and next steps for two flagship projects: STEP: Comprehensive development, education, and career and Education without discrimination, language without barriers.
In particular, STEP project is designed to combine general secondary education with everyday life skills, career guidance, and practical training—including managing money, planning personal tasks, and performing job assignments.
The Ministry plans to establish 100 STEP classes and groups for about 1,500 children and young people in the first phase. Transition to full-time or blended learning is envisaged for 1,000 children, with group piloting slated for 50 vocational education institutions in the 2027/2028 academic year.
"Along with regulatory decisions, institutional preparation will continue: educators need training programs and professional support, while institutions require equipped workshops and partnerships with employers. The Ministry of Education and Science is also finalizing a spending review of the subvention with the Ministry of Finance and independent experts, and is preparing proposals on funding support for children with special educational needs," the ministry noted.
Additionally, over 2,000 educators have already completed the quest-course Education without discrimination, language without barriers, and another 154 participants completed Power of equality program dedicated to non-discriminatory approaches in education. Furthermore, an all-Ukrainian lesson titled Language of dignity: Seeing the person behind the words was created for grades 1 through 12.
The Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity presented the flagship project Active longevity, aimed at fostering opportunities for self-realization and support for older persons within communities.
"The project will encompass physical and mental health support, opportunities for continued professional activity and retraining, and access to educational, medical, and social services. Project targets include reaching 20% to 30% of people aged 50 and older with relevant programs and increasing employment among this age group by 5% to 10%," the ministry stated.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth and Sports announced that the pilot phase of Hubs of the future flagship project will start in October across 12 communities to help youth determine their profession and plan their future. The first participants will be 700 young people from selected regions of Ukraine.
Hubs of the Future will operate on the basis of youth centers. Young people will be able to receive assistance in identifying their interests, goals, and strengths, as well as information on opportunities for studying, internships, employment, grants, and other support. The project concept was developed with the direct participation of youth," the ministry reported.
For her part, Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna spoke about the implementation of the Ministry of Culture's Information without barriers project.
Specifically, under this project, the agency is developing a culture of barrier-free speech, building a network of barrier-free ambassadors, drafting a law on the accessibility of audiovisual media services, and integrating barrier-free principles into new cultural projects for the Thousand Springs(Tysiachovesna)
