‘We are launching the Accessible Local Government 2.0 project today with funding from the European Social Fund. This is another tool that gives local governments an opportunity to improve the accessibility of services they provide, which will undoubtedly translate into greater comfort for all residents, and will guarantee a more independent and autonomous life for people with disabilities,’

Deputy Minister Monika Sikora said.

‘The project worth PLN 100 million is another initiative that responds to the needs of local governments and residents. At least 240 local governments will receive financial grants. The average amount is PLN 300,000,’

she added.

The funds will help bring local government services into compliance with accessibility legislation. The project will develop a catalogue of accessibility solutions that can and should be implemented locally while providing public services (e.g. education, administration, transport, social services, culture, leisure, health, etc.). Grant funds will be used to implement these solutions. The funds can and should supplement the local governments’ own expenditure for this purpose.

Key solutions

The partnership, signed today by the representatives of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, provides for the implementation of the following tasks:

• Development and implementation of Accessibility Standards in a local government – the outcome will constitute a model document to be used free of charge by local governments. Its aim is to support LGUs in implementing measures to improve accessibility (particularly in the provision of public services), taking into account the principles of universal design.
  The standards will be adaptable to the real conditions and opportunities for public policies in specific local governments.
• Training, consultancy, grants – the LGUs will be able to receive grants with an average value of PLN 300,000 (min. PLN 200,000; max. PLN 400,000).
  A grant should be used to fund expenditure on ensuring that local government services are accessible. These may include projects such as: eliminating communication barriers in buildings and public spaces, installing equipment or other technical measures to serve the hard of hearing or providing information on the LGU website in the form of recordings in the Polish Sign Language.
• Training for accessibility coordinators – supported persons will be offered training on issues such as accessibility in legislation, architectural accessibility, accessible procedures, customer service for those with special needs, preparation of an action plan to improve accessibility provision.
  To complement the training process, participants will be offered the opportunity to participate in thematic webinars on topics requested by the trainees that require in-depth discussion with an expert.
  The plan is to support 400 accessibility coordinators over the course of the project.

‘Accessibility for people with special needs is a shared commitment and responsibility of every public body and for all of us. With accessibility funding, everyone will have equal access to the services offered by the public sector,’

the deputy head of the MFiPR concluded.

The project is a continuation and part of a larger package of instruments addressed to local governments related to accessibility offered by the Accessibility Plus Programme, which helps public entities in municipalities or districts, especially those closest to citizens, to strive for greater accessibility for people with special needs.