The City Center for Civic Education (MCGO) is an example of a youth space where accessibility was embedded from the very beginning. This approach is the focus of the third episode of the video project «Numo bez bar’ieriv» («NUMO Without Barriers») by the National Ukrainian Youth Association (NUMO). The episode is now available to watch.
The project team shows that accessibility is not a one-time solution, but a daily commitment to people and attention to detail. The episode centers on real stories and lived experiences of those who are transforming their communities.
Barrier-Free Access Is About Independence
Olha Antonova, co-founder of the MCGO and a member of the Foundation for Regional Initiatives, explains:
«When we started, we had no doubt that the space had to be accessible. That was the foundation — it had to be open to everyone, at any time»
She encourages others not to wait for perfect conditions, but to start with what is available and improve the space step by step.
Annychka Hodzinets, head of the Kyiv branch of The Youth Nationalist Congress and a visitor to the MCGO, speaks about a shift in how young people perceive accessibility:
«It seems to me that many young people still see ‘accessibility’ and ‘barrier-free’ as something complicated and hard to understand. But if you look deeper, being barrier-free is about independence. That’s why this idea is becoming increasingly important in youth spaces.»
Oleksii Lobanok, a veteran and mentor at the Ukrainian Leadership Academy, offers a simple way to understand accessibility:
«The easiest way to explain accessibility is this: a space should be comfortable for parents with strollers. Because if a stroller can move freely, it will be convenient for everyone. Each of us can help make the world barrier-free — we just need to understand it better. I first realized this when I went to the supermarket with my young nephew and suddenly understood who those elevators were really for and why climbing stairs with a stroller is so difficult.»
You can watch the third episode on YouTube.
