Yevhenii Sviet is an accessibility expert specialising in inclusive public spaces and barrier-free solutions. Yevhenii co-authors Ukraine’s national accessibility standards and building codes, and has conducted over 3,000 accessibility assessments of public facilities across the country.

Yevhenii first encountered tactile navigation systems for blind and partially sighted people on a VHS recording of a seminar about a bus terminal in Copenhagen. At the time, accessibility was barely discussed in Ukraine, and only a handful of professionals were working in the field.

“Back then, access to international experience was extremely limited,” Yevhenii recalls. “You couldn’t just go online and see how other countries approached accessibility. I first saw tactile navigation solutions in 1998, on a video recording of a seminar about Copenhagen’s bus terminal and public spaces in Prague. For me, it was a revelation.” 

At the time, he had just started working with blind and partially sighted people, teaching them how to navigate cities independently, use a white cane, and move safely through public spaces. Back then, it seemed that if a person developed the right skills, they could adapt to almost any environment. Over time, however, he realised that the problem wasn't just with the individual.

“The potential of a blind person can be almost limitless,” he says. “But there are also tools and solutions that can dramatically improve orientation, mobility, and safety.” 

Today, Yevhenii is widely regarded as one of the first specialists in the country who started working on accessibility.. Over nearly three decades, he has witnessed the country move from a near-total lack of understanding to the development of professional expertise, national standards, and systemic solutions.

One moment he still remembers vividly occurred in 2004, after the Ukrainian singer Ruslana won the Eurovision Song Contest. Kyiv was preparing to host the event, and for the first time, the accessibility of the Palace Ukraina concert hall became the subject of serious public discussion.

“But when the cost of making the building accessible was calculated, some people said it would be easier to carry a person inside than to redesign the space,” Yevhenii recalls. Even so, those years marked the beginning of a shift that many people take for granted today.

Ukraine introduced its first state construction standards on accessibility in 2007, followed by the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009. According to Yevhenii, however, it was the preparations for UEFA Euro 2012 that marked the first time accessibility was approached systematically across the country.

“During that period, barrier-free principles began to appear in major infrastructure projects – stadiums, airports, and transport hubs,” he says. “Donbas Arena, the new Boryspil Airport terminal, Donetsk Airport – at the time, these were incredibly strong and modern examples. I was genuinely in love with Donetsk Airport. It was one of the best facilities in Europe.” 

The new stations on the Kyiv Metro’s blue line, built ahead of Euro 2012, were already being designed with accessibility in mind – even though proper regulations barely existed in Ukraine at the time.

“Today, many people don’t even notice these things anymore,” Yevhenii says. “But if you compare Ukraine in the late 1990s to Ukraine today, the difference in understanding accessibility is enormous.” 

In 2018, Ukraine adopted new national building regulations on inclusivity, which Yevhenii co-authored. For him and the many colleagues who had spent years advocating for change, it was a massive milestone.

Yet, as Yevhenii points out, a great deal of work still lies ahead.

“One of the biggest challenges is coordination between institutions,” he explains. “We may have a strong idea for a barrier-free route, but in practice, even a few hundred metres can involve dozens of different authorities, budgets, and responsibilities. The real challenge is learning how to connect separate solutions into one coherent and genuinely accessible space.” 

Despite these hurdles, Yevhenii sees more progress today than at any other point in his career – not just in infrastructure, but in people.

In 2018, UNDP launched the Universal Design School, which returned for additional training cycles in 2024 and 2025. This was followed in 2025 by the introduction of the Barrier-Free Routes School, which is currently running its second cycle. Yevhenii teaches in both programmes.

“When I started, there were only a few people working in this field,” he says. “Now, an entire professional community is emerging — architects, urban planners, designers, public officials — people who are beginning to think differently. For example, after the 2024 Universal Design School, which brought together around 70 participants, at least 50 continued working on accessibility afterwards. And honestly, that is what motivates me most today.” 

Photo credit: UNDP Ukraine