Shortly before Euro-2012 kicked off, the Donetsk authorities checked whether public places are accessible to people with limited abilities. The check showed that the city was maladjusted to this kind of people. The number and sizes of access ramps do not meet conventional standards. As a result, special maps, which show places accessible to the disabled, were made and handed out to those who need this kind of information.
The European championship has also made it imperative to train special people who know the particularities of the life of a handicapped person. It is not widely known, for example, that special volunteers comment on Euro-2012 matches for the hearing-impaired Ukrainians. There has been no such thing in Ukraine before. This service was introduced thanks to the UEFA international project “Euro-2012: Respect Inclusion – Football with No Limits.” The volunteers were taught on the basis of the old audio-descriptive aids, which the famous sport commentator Nikolai Ozerov used to do. There are two volunteers of this kind in each of the host cities. One can tune in to them at the following frequencies: Kyiv 97.2 (97.6), Donetsk 97.2 (97.6), Kharkiv 88.5 (91.6), Lviv 88.2 (92.6). What singles out Donetsk is the fact that the commentators are public figures and journalists Kateryna ZHEMCHUZHNIKOVA and Valeria DUBOVA. The Day spoke with the two girls about their new occupation and about how people with limited abilities fare in the city.
Why did you decide to comment on matches for people with limited abilities?
Kateryna: “I have been keen lately on podcasts, and I am very much aware now of the importance for some people to receive information ‘by ear.’ So when I saw a notice about the recruitment of people who would like to volunteer as audio-format match commentators, I did not think twice. After all, it is the fulfillment of my childhood dream of commenting on soccer matches, and I hope it is some help to people.”
Valeria: “I have always wished to comment on soccer. Besides, here is also a real opportunity to help someone. It was not until we began training in Kyiv that I became really aware of what our mission was about – it became clear at last that it was an important job which could greatly help somebody because it was pure fantasy to imagine in this country that a person who has lost eyesight could go to the stadium. Now I begin to understand that this is possible and may even be a bright moment in the life of somebody.”
For how many people have you commented on matches yet? Do you have any feedback with your listeners?
Kateryna: “Representatives of the Ukrainian National Assembly of the Disabled said there would be up to 30 people at every match, who need an audio-descriptive comment. Our fellow commentators from other cities told us they had to work with 15-17 people. Unfortunately, our target audiences do not often visit the Donbas Arena. I think this may be due to the fact that Donetsk matches are mostly being attended by deaf or hearing-impaired people and people with an impaired locomotor system rather than by totally blind or partially sighted people. But it can also be the case that, instead of putting on headsets, people catch the running commentary at the FM band frequency of 97.6. For example, my friends and acquaintances, who go to the stadium and know that I am commenting, listen to the comment by means of their phones.”
Valeria: “Now that two matches have been held, there was only one man from our clientele. We approached him after the first half-time in the Ukraine vs. France game, and he said he liked everything. We are very much concerned about doing our work well, which is only natural because our listeners fully trust us.”
Being absorbed in this kind of work, you can surely change your opinion about what (and who to) you are doing.
Valeria: “I used to have a stereotype that all people with limited physical abilities need utmost care. In reality, it is not quite so: they are often fully self-sufficient and active people, and all they need to live a normal life is certain conditions. Now I tend to presume that they do not need pity or mindless care. These people are sometimes more self-sufficient than those who have no special needs.”
Kateryna: “As I have already said, it is several years since I understood the importance of conveying information in most diverse ways. For it is not so difficult, for example, to stick up a warning sign on a transparent door, indicate that there is a restroom for people with special needs, install audio-accompaniment somewhere, etc., which will only make life easier for many people.”
Shortly before Euro-2012 kicked off, public places were checked for being accessible to people with limited abilities. Some devices began to be installed… To what extent has this problem been solved in this country?
Kateryna: “A city is a common house for a large number of people, and it should be comfortable for everybody. It seems to me that the construction standards that envisage presence of ramps, absence of thresholds, and installation of various audio-visual warning devices are absolutely suitable for all. But some people find it totally impossible to feel comfortably and do without someone else’s help without this. It is very good that these projects to make the city comfortable to everybody were spotlighted on the eve of Euro-2012. The point is that people with special needs should not be forgotten later on. In Europe, this approach has not been a novelty for a long time. It therefore seems to me that every European can feel that he or she is a full-fledged member of society, that he or she is not isolated from the others. These attitudes are only beginning to gain ground in this country, and the championship is a catalyst of sorts in this case.”
What prospects do you see?
Kateryna: “As far as I know, the Ukrainian National Assembly of the Disabled is taking a very serious stand. When being trained, we were told that, somewhat later, we would also have to focus on sports and cultural events, such as theatrical productions.”
Valeria: “I think Euro-2012 is an excellent chance for us to improve in this matter. Will another access ramp or tactile paving be too costly for the city budget? This will be incredibly important for these people because it will guarantee their self-sufficiency. Our authorities would hardly be tackling this problem if there were no CAFE programs for Euro-2012, and it is very good that this chance was not missed. At any rate, the volunteers who took part in the program are sure to change their previous attitude to the problem. In Donetsk alone there were several hundred young people who checked buildings for accessibility [to the handicapped], and even after one inspection of this kind you begin to look attentively at all steps and ramps, doors and road markings. This has a strong effect on you because, while you simply did not know about these things previously, now you can draw comparisons. It is also very good that almost all the volunteers were from DonNASA [Donbas National Academy of Construction and Architecture. – Ed.], and, a year or two later, these people will be constructing buildings, laying roads, and designing facilities in Donetsk. I think they will now take a more scrupulous approach to the question of accessibility [to the handicapped].”
