Guide to barrier-free rehabilitation units
This guide was created jointly with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine as part of the flagship project ‘Development of the Rehabilitation Care System’ within the framework of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine, initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska.
The project is financially and technically supported by the World Bank, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DGNEAR). The opinions expressed in this guide are the authors' and do not represent the official views of the European Union or other partners.
The guide was developed by the team of Big City Lab urban bureau.
During Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the number of wounded is growing every day, and the facilities created for the victims are, in fact, not adapted for them. The lack of decent treatment conditions not only hinders physical rehabilitation but also pauses the recovery process and creates barriers to resocialisation.
This guide to barrier-free rehabilitation units was created to help remove these barriers and prepare hospitals and rehabilitation centres for the number of wounded in Ukraine.
The guide shows the main barriers that limit quality self-adaptation in healthcare facilities. Chief doctors and managers of rehabilitation facilities do not always understand what accessibility should look like in buildings built to outdated standards. The guide can teach them how to see the barriers and understand how to fix them. This will help people who have influence make effective decisions.
Stages of project development:
- 20 audits of hospitals in different regions of Ukraine. We conducted a comprehensive study to understand which problems in the spaces are most often repeated.
- Involvement of the expert community. We interviewed physical therapists, ergotherapists and other professionals to find out how they use the space and what limitations they face in their work due to barriers.
- Our team of architects and physical accessibility specialists developed recommendations on what to consider when creating accessible rehabilitation spaces in old Soviet buildings.
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What is the result?
A straightforward guide for those who want to make changes.
The guide contains:
- A description of the problem, rehabilitation services, fields of rehabilitation and terminology, as well as a list of specialists and their competences;
- Matrix of health disorders;
- Spatial solutions with standards and visualisations showing how they can work in practice;
- A detailed description of the functional areas of rehabilitation centres and offices for various purposes: from the route ‘Public transport stop - rehabilitation unit’, entrance group, horizontal and vertical communications (corridors, lifts, movement between floors), waiting areas, eating and hygiene areas, ward arrangement - to such small things as hangers, chairs, door handles.
- A questionnaire for an independent audit of the accessibility of the facility.
Transform your rehabilitation unit with us.
What can we do for you?
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