Universal Design School 2026 launches in Kyiv: participants to develop supported living house project

The Universal Design School 2026 has launched in Kyiv, the press service of the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity reported. Participants will focus on the accessibility of residential and working environments. One of the practical results will be a design project for a supported living house.

Photo credit: Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity

The Universal Design School is organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine with the support of the Japanese government. For the first time, specialists from various professions have joined the training. Occupational therapists, social workers, architects and designers will work in multidisciplinary teams.

This approach takes a person’s needs into account comprehensively. In particular, an occupational therapist assesses their functional capabilities, while an architect or designer translates these needs into spatial solutions. A social worker helps connect them with the necessary services.

“Barrier-free access begins with the environment in which a person lives, works and handles ordinary daily tasks. That is why universal design principles should be considered as early as the design stage of housing and workspaces,” Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity Inna Solodka said.

The Universal Design School has been operating since 2018. In 2024–2025, it was relaunched in response to Ukraine’s need for inclusive recovery. Previously, about 170 specialists completed the School.

ZMINA previously reported in Ukrainian that 10 hromadas in Ukraine have begun developing barrier-free routes in cities. Urban spaces will be rebuilt to make them comfortable for everyone.

Why barrier-free accessibility is the best investment in the country’s development in a column by Fight For Right communications manager Iryna Dovhal.

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