The Advocacy Power: how activist Kateryna Burych, together with the 'Active Rehabilitation Group' makes houses in Bucha inclusive

Advocacy is often a very comprehensive and lengthy process of implementing changes. Together with the NGO "Active Rehabilitation Group" and with the UN Women Ukraine and WPHF project support, Kateryna's new familly housing in Bucha is now inclusive. Although the construction project did not meet barrier-free standards at all. Read the story of perseverance and changes, despite the difficulties.

Kateryna Burych has led the NGO "Active Rehabilitation Group" since 2013. At first she worked at active rehabilitation camps as a volunteer, later as an organizer of camps. She led various job positions in the NGO. Katya is a mother of two sons. Married to an active rehabilitation leader, table tennis instructor, and trainer of riding techniques.

To become the wife of a man in a wheeled chair is a conscious choice for Kateryna: "You immediately understand the challenges: barrier-free society -  is not only about access to different accommodations, although this is a big problem, that is also about the perception of society, etc...." When the family has one adult in a wheelchair and two minor sons, the barriers are most noticeable and tangible. Winter is becoming a hated time of year. "One of the sons is on my hands, and the other with a children's shovel - so we cleaned the entrance to the house together, where the ramp is not a ramp, but an extreme slide," Katya shares.



Kateryna's family photo, from her personal archive.

Plans to buy new house and the war

The couple has already thought about expanding housing. So they decided to actively look for an apartment that would not limit the husband and would not kill his wife's back. On the eve of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kateryna and Artem bought an apartment in one of the Bucha residential complexes that was still under construction. We noticed that the house has a ramp in accordance with the current state construction standards. "So we were calm and were waiting for the completion of construction. It was previously agreed that all steps regarding barrier-free will be agreed with us," says Kateryna.

Then - February 22. That was the year that turned the lives of many Ukrainians. The Burych family at the beginning of a full-scale invasion was in Irpin. A few days later, at their own risk, they got into a car - they decided to leave the city because they understood that it was much more dangerous for a person in a wheelchair and small children to stay there... At those times - they forgot about the recently bought new and affordable housing in Bucha.

After the de-occupation of the Kyiv region, the cities of Irpin and Bucha quickly began to recover. People began to return. The residential complex continued to be built, in which Burychi's apartment was purchased. Katya and Artem started dreaming of their new home again. Since the family had to go abroad and stay there for some time, the couple could not control the construction process and its compliance with state construction standards.

 Thanks to Internet access, the couple was able to coordinate plumbing, electrical, and other work. They were constantly in touch with those responsible for preparing the house for building processes. But what a disappointment it was when Katya and Artem arrived at their new home! State-building standards remained only on paper, and the entrance of the house was not available! The man could not independently enter his own house. It was dangerous for Kateryna, who tried to help him to stand up. Instead of a ramp, there was a slope built of tiles. All this looks like an extreme slide that in the rainy season turns into a "skating rink." And the distance from up to the curb is up to 15 cm. There is a lack of handrails and lowering. The couple ask the person responsible for all the 'standarts' to sit in the wheel chair and try to use the ramp. Their arguments to remake the ramp according to state-building standards were not taken into account. In response, they received some accusations, strange excuses, indifference and audacity. According to the responsible person, everything is done according to the standarts and it is convenient to import all the things into commercial premises.

The appearance of the previous ramp in a residential complex in Bucha, which did not meet the standards of barrier-free. Kateryna's husband on a wheeled chair could not independently enter the house. Photo provided by Kateryna Burych


Advocacy for barrier-free access to housing

The attempt to solve alone  the problem with the inclusive standards of future housing was failed. Kateryna asked for help colleagues in the NGO "Active Rehabilitation Group". Vitaliy Pcholkin, executive director of the NGO "Active Rehabilitation Group" and Bucha Inclusive City Committee member, supported and led the advocacy campaign.

Katya and Artem took photos of almost all the ramps in the buildings in Bucha that did not meet construction standards and were dangerous for all the residents and for children who used them as slides. On behalf of the organization, Vitaliy Pcholkin notified the management of the residential complex of his intention to submit violations of the inclusive building standards for consideration. The Bucha Inclusive Committee considered this issue, then contacted the developer and convinced them to solve the situation with inaccessibility. Since the house was ready to live in, the builders still considered the problem and even tried to solve it. Vitaliy Pcholkin insisted that it is necessary to remake not only the entrance to the house, where the Burychiv family will live, but also other entrances of the residential complexes. As they all don't meet the inclusive standarts. 

Kateryna shares the result of the struggle for free access to the apartment:

"We had a ramp redone. Better than it was. Again, no one consulted; they did the ramp, violating the inclusive norms. But we are glad that this was redone. It's a shame, because how many more houses will be done without keeping the standards? Why now, when there is a war in the country and many people on a temporary or permanent basis - representatives of the low-mobility group, is it necessary to struggle for standards that the laws have prescribed? Why do we, buying an apartment and giving away all our savings, count on independence and comfort - as a result get a prison for our husband, because he cannot go in and out on his own house? How to get into the store or coffee shop near the house? How to go out with the children in the yard? Why not just do everything for people? Inclusive standards are important not only for people with disabilities!" 

A rebuilt ramp with the support and efforts of advocacy campaign. Photo provided by Kateryna Burych

Currently, there is a campaign to have the fully inclusive new buildings. The NGO "Active Rehabilitation Group" ensures that the residential complex, where Kateryna, Artem and their sons will soon live, becomes accessible to all its residents and guests.

In order for each family to have the opportunity to create decent living conditions for themselves, the team of the 'Active Rehabilitation Group' together with the NGO 'League of the Strong' with the technical support of the UN Women Ukraine and with the funding of The United Nations Women's Peace and Humanitarian Aid Fund (WPHF), is implementing an advocacy campaign to introduce a service for the arrangement of inclusive housing in Bucha community. As part of this project, the Burych couple have already received professional support - they solved the problem of the accessibility of a new home. If you need advice on the inclusive arrangement of housing, fill out the form from the "Active Rehabilitation Group" - specialists will gladly help:

https://gar.org.ua/programs/consult/

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This advocacy campaign is produced by 'Active Rehabilitation Group' and NGO 'League of the Strong'   funded by The United Nations Women’s Peace  and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) with technical  support of UN Women Ukraine. The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF)  mobilizes critical support for local and grassroots civil  society organizations working on women, peace and  security and humanitarian action. WPHF is a flexible  and rapid financing mechanism supporting quality  interventions designed to enhance the capacity of  women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and  emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding  opportunities.

This publication is produced with funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace  and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), however, the views expressed and content included does not imply  official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.