Tetiana Dovzhenko: Quality road – quality life

Tetiana Dovzhenko lives in the town of Pyatikhatky in the Dnipro region. She is a teacher and psychologist by profession. Five years ago, she was involved in a car accident and suffered a spinal cord injury, 9-10 thoracic spine. “I studied both before and after the injury. I graduated with a master’s degree. Now I am working. I have such a release,” she says about herself.

Tetiana is known in the city as a socially active resident. She participated in the 2021 Beauty Without Limits contest and in sports competitions. Today she works and volunteers. She needs to leave the house and go to different places, and it may seem like a no-brainer. But for her to move freely, a certain section of the road needs to be repaired. “For three years, I wrote letters to the local authorities, both verbally and over the phone. The town is small. Everyone knows each other. I also appealed through my friends. But there were constant refusals. It was a request for a small area from my house to the nearest alley, where there is already an asphalt road… But no one met me halfway,” Tanya says.

Our consultants helped Tanya solve the issue of road repair. The girl turned to the Group for Active Rehabilitation with a request for incontinence products. And then she told us her story of struggle for free movement on the roads of Pyatikhatki. And she got help. Here is how Tanya tells about her cooperation with the GAR:

“At first, I talked to a girl named Iryna… She suggested that I make a request on the website for advice on home and grounds improvement. I was contacted by Ihor Pyrozhkov. He answered all my questions and advised me on further work. We wrote a letter on my behalf to the local authorities. I also received a refusal. I called Igor again, said I was upset about the refusal, and asked for help. They supported me and said that they would write a letter themselves and contact a lawyer. On their own behalf, the GAR wrote a letter to my city council. As a result, they began to build the road at the end of October. And today everything is done. I understand that this is a great merit of the GAR. Without their help, I would not have succeeded.”


#What does the repaired road mean to Tetiana Dovzhenko?

‘It's an opportunity to feel independent. I can go out on my own, and not stay at home 24/7. At least, it's an opportunity for me to go to the store. To meet with relatives or friends. The road is great, it's what I dreamed of. I used to fall out of the wheelchair on the road that was before. Of course, I would like to have a ramp to the shop so that I could go in on my own and not ask for help. In the 5 years since my injury, I think I've only been to ATB in my small town. Neither the bank nor the hospital are accessible!’ she says.
The story of Tetiana, a girl who uses a wheelchair, is not an exception to the rule, but, unfortunately, a reality. Currently, instead of creating comfortable, accessible conditions, people with disabilities are forced to adapt to what already exists. People with disabilities have to fight for their right to free, unimpeded movement and comfort in everyday life. Today, the work on barrier-free and inclusive environment must be systematic and persistent. We are working in this direction and believe that we can build an inclusive Ukraine.