Kharkiv Oblast, a province in Eastern Ukraine, was the site of a conference that aims to launch an initiative called Joint Programme, to implement and promote accessibility and universal design standards for products, environments and processes for people with disabilities.
The program is a joint effort between the United Nations Development Program, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization, International Labour Organization and the Kharkiv Oblast State Administration, and will focus on local strategies and action plans to address accessibility issues in areas such as employment, health care and social services.
It appears that what will be learned from the outcome of this project, is information that will be used in a broader sense to increase awareness of, and create processes for people with disabilities across the globe. Ms. Yukie Mokuo, Resident Coordinator a.i. of the United Nations, said of the program, "I would really like to see a lot of success stories as a result of the project, the stories we can share at both national and international levels”.