Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs launched Accessibility Week – a series of events aimed at creating an inclusive educational environment, ensuring equal opportunities and supporting veterans and people with disabilities.

One of the key events was the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs and the Community Center “Veteran Space “VETERAN PRO”” of Kamianets-Podilskyi District Council. The document provides for the development of partnerships in the field of supporting veterans, the implementation of joint educational and social initiatives, as well as the creation of conditions for accessible training and professional adaptation of people with disabilities.

Within the framework of the Accessibility Week, a working meeting was held between the Directors of the ERI No. 1 and No. 4 Mykola Marchuk and Vitalii Romaniuk, Deputy Director of the ERI No. 5 Vita Pashko, Head of the automotive training department of the barrier-free driving school Oleksandr Marunchak, administrator of the territorial service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Khmelnytskyi region Oleksii Nosachov, Acting Head of the Veteran Space Vira Koval, and specialists of the public organization that provide support to veterans.

The participants discussed practical steps to develop a barrier-free educational environment and increase the accessibility of driving lessons.

Representatives of the Veteran Space “VETERAN PRO” got acquainted with specially equipped cars of the barrier-free driving school of KhNUIA and the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The driving school specialists spoke about the peculiarities of training drivers with disabilities, and the service center representatives spoke about the procedure for passing exams to obtain a driver's license. Special emphasis was placed on the use of special driving aids and the opportunities they open up for people who want to master driving skills.

The example of Andrii Liubimenko, a graduate of the barrier-free driving school of KhNUIA, now a university personnel inspector, who lost his lower limb during hostilities, was motivating. He shared his own learning experience and talked about the difficulties he had to overcome: "When I came to study, I was worried whether I would be able to cope. But the support of the instructors and the opportunity to study in an adapted car helped me believe in myself. Today I can confidently say: no circumstances should become an obstacle to development and a new stage in life."

The Director of the ERI No. 4, Mykola Marchuk, noted that KhNUIA was one of the first higher education institutions to open a barrier-free driving school. According to him, the main task of the university is to create conditions under which every person, regardless of physical abilities, will have equal access to education and practical training.

During the meeting, an open dialogue took place between the participants. They received answers to questions regarding training, passing exams and the functioning of a barrier-free driving school.

Holding the Barrier-Free Week once again confirms: a modern university is a space of equal opportunities, respect, support and openness for everyone.

The project “Barrier-Free Driving Schools” is implemented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine within the framework of the National Barrier-Free Strategy, initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.