Meeting with Reuben Saffer.

Students-architects will improve accessibility of objects to people with disabilities.

As a member of the committee on accessibility issues, I was invited for a roundtable discussion on the transformation of the sphere of vital activity into accessible space for the less mobile groups of the population.

Within the action which took place in the Kharkiv national university of municipal economy of A. N. Beketov the meeting lecture of the architect Reuben Saffer from Great Britain with students and teachers of university, experts in availability, members of regional committees of availability of the city has taken place. During the lecture the architect has told about the best British practices of creation of barrier-free space and has answered questions.

Reference. Reuben Saffer graduated in 1977 from the Faculty of Architecture, Oxford Polytechnic University (Planning and Urban Planning course). During his professional career he worked in the field of control and management of construction projects in the field of health care. He has extensive experience in adapting social housing and public buildings to the needs of people with reduced mobility. He conducts lectures and trainings on the planning and organization of an accessible environment.

I express my great gratitude for the conduct of this event to Mr. Reuben Saffer, the vice-president of the city public organization “Creavita” - Elena Shingareva and the deputy of the Kharkov mayor, Svetlana Gorbunova-Ruban.

A very important point is the fact that the participants of the round table were also students-architects. They will improve the accessibility of objects for people with disabilities and make our city even better for all its inhabitants.

(More information on the site of the Kharkov City Council:http://www.city.kharkov.ua/en/ )