Learning to listen to others: how inclusiveness can affect Ukrainian cities
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Society understands reconstruction as the construction of new buildings. This is only partly correct. Because when something is done anew, it is worth trying new approaches. Ukraine got a chance for fundamental changes in all spheres. In architectural, in particular. This not only means the application of various global practices, but also the implementation of inclusiveness in construction processes at a broad level. It can make Ukrainian cities even more convenient and barrier-free. And here’s how. Inclusivity reveals problems. In 2020, the State Statistics Service counted 2.7 million people with disabilities. Another 45,000 have received this status since the start of the full-scale invasion, but the number may be much higher. And it is not always convenient for these people to move around Ukrainian cities. Remember the entrances to the underground passages. Stairs plus a conditional ramp for a cart. Ordinary people use them without hindrance. But for people with disabilities or strollers, such transitions become a test due to the ramps. It is inconvenient to go up and down them: a sharp angle of inclination and slippery granite. Also, carts may simply not fit on these ramps or, conversely, be too small for them. Everyone suffered from Russian aggression – both those who protect us at the front and those who work for the good of the country in the rear cities under shelling. Therefore, our task is to do everything so that everyone can return to normal life without barriers. Identify existing problems, solve them. Inclusivity encourages learning. As experience shows, Ukrainians know relatively little about this process. In order for the “train” to move, it will be necessary to learn a lot. The first significant steps on this path have already been taken. Handbook on barrier-freeness, Album of barrier-free solutions, or the series on barrier-freeness from “Diya.Osvita”. Studying world practices will be helpful in this learning, but the most important thing is to learn to listen carefully to people’s pain. Don’t ask: “Why don’t you do this and that?”, but ask: “How can I help solve the problem?” Inclusivity increases awareness and tolerance. When a person has learned to listen, he subconsciously develops empathy for the problems of others. In addition, it is impossible to make the space better without the opinion of those for whom it is being done. Implementing inclusiveness means involving people in society as much as possible, supporting and not denying the right to a comfortable life. This is mostly done in foreign countries, so it is important for us to observe and adopt these practices. Inclusivity improves infrastructure. This point can be called the result of the previous points. When you begin to understand and see problems, you immediately take them into account during planning. Last year, The Valuable 500 portal published an article about the 10 most affordable cities in the world. The list included Paris, London, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Tokyo, etc. Its foundation is a survey of 3.5 thousand people with disabilities. In New York, special touch panels were installed instead of payphones for city navigation. They have amplifiers for hearing aids, Braille, the ability to enlarge text, and videos with sign language interpretation. The streets of Paris have overpasses every 200 meters to make it convenient to cross the street anywhere. And Tokyo is literally littered with tactile tiles at crossings and public transport stops, which is not surprising, because it was invented in Japan. These are small things in the context of global inclusiveness, but at the same time done with respect for people. It’s like getting to know a person a little more and showing attention and care. Inclusiveness increases the tourist and economic potential of the city. When people with disabilities are carefully cared for and the fact of this becomes public knowledge, it is not surprising that residents of other countries want to appreciate this care in person in order to make an impression. Ukraine has every chance to turn the country into an environment friendly to everyone after the victory. The concept of “inclusive tourism” – recreational tourism for people with disabilities – has existed for a long time. MMGY Travel Intelligence conducted research in 2022 and found that people with disabilities globally spend up to $58 billion on travel each year. Travel companies create special offers. Many recreation centers, sanatoriums, health hotels make their territories barrier-free and accessible. And public organizations support the development of inclusive tourism. For example, this year the European Network For Accessible Tourism issues grants for projects related to comfortable travel for people with disabilities. The European Commission has even launched the Access City Awards, which annually honor cities that have achieved the greatest success in implementing inclusiveness. *** Inclusivity is not a short-term trend for a few months, but a permanent philosophy that teaches humanity, empathy and understanding of other people’s problems. Inclusiveness reflects not the needs of individual people, but how we treat those people and listen to their needs. However, a certain part of society disdains those who do not fit into a certain norm. For example, people with disabilities. Among people of a much older age, the opinion is heard from time to time that “such people should be kept behind closed doors so as not to spoil a healthy mood.” Instead of thinking about how to make the lives of people with disabilities easier, an inhumane decision is immediately put forward to imprison them somewhere as far as possible from society. It says a lot about us as a society. That’s why we really need to learn inclusiveness. Learning to listen to those people whose views the architectural process has either ignored or taken into account is insufficient. Take small steps to become a world example for others. Valentina Kravchenko, founder and CEO of Ino. The Developer, specially for UP. Life Publications in the “View” section are not editorial articles and reflect exclusively the author’s point of view
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