EKO MARKET STANDS FOR BARRIER-FREE ACCESSIBILITY!
Inclusivity and accessibility concern everyone, not only people with disabilities. Low-mobility population groups also include older adults, pregnant women, and parents of young children. EKO MARKET believes that public spaces should be convenient for everyone.
That is why we created the “Accessibility” project, the purpose of which is to make our stores accessible to everyone.
WHAT ARE WE IMPLEMENTING?
We are transforming the space in our stores so that all our guests feel comfortable.
SELF-CHECKOUT CASH DESKS
We moved the card payment terminals 20 cm forward so that people using wheelchairs can conveniently pay for their purchases.
CONTRAST DOORS
We highlighted our automatic doors with contrasting colors so that they are clearly visible even in cloudy weather or poor lighting conditions.
RAMPS
We reduced the slope and added more convenient handrails so that low-mobility population groups can more easily visit our stores.
1.2 M AISLES
Wide aisles ensure free movement inside the store, including for people using wheelchairs.
SCANNERS
We lowered the price-checking scanners to a convenient height so that every guest can easily use them.
TACTILE TILES
Tactile tiles in EKO MARKET help people with visual impairments navigate the space, particularly near stairways and ramps.
CONTRASTING COLORS
We marked protruding interior elements with contrasting colors so they can be distinguished more easily. This improves navigation for people with visual impairments.
ACCESSIBLE SUPERMARKET
We conduct special training sessions for EKO MARKET employees to improve our service and make the shopping process comfortable for low-mobility population groups. In addition, our company actively employs people from low-mobility population groups.
1020+
senior employees
420+
employees with young children
120+
employees with disabilities
RENOVATED EKO MARKET STORES
We have always complied with State Building Regulations, but over time we realized that this was not enough. Therefore, in 2024, we focused on creating a truly accessible environment in our stores.
Our first barrier-free store was the market in Ukrainka, 6 Yunosti Street, which opened its doors to visitors after a large-scale renovation. We removed obstacles such as thresholds and level differences. We completely redesigned the sales area: widened the aisles between rows, clearly and contrast-marked automatic doors and the entrance group, reduced the ramp slope, and installed tactile tiles.
Already in August 2024, we opened the second accessibility-format store in Bucha, where we implemented the same solutions as in Ukrainka. In the near future, EKO MARKET plans to renovate 12 more stores.
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EKO ACCESSIBILITY MAP
Current addresses of fully accessible stores:
Kyiv, 40 Radunska Street
Kyiv, 11 Pryrichna Street
Kyiv, 8 Nauky Avenue
Ukrainka, 6 Yunosti Street
Bucha, 12 Heroiv Maidanu Street
OUR PARTNERS
On our path toward accessibility, we are supported by the public organization Dostupno.UA. Our cooperation began in December 2023, when we conducted a joint inspection of our store at 17 Chervonoi Kalyny Avenue in Kyiv and held a training session for its employees. After that, we decided to scale our cooperation and involve colleagues as consultants in the renovation process of our stores.
The organization regularly holds inclusivity forums, which you can also attend to learn more about inclusivity.
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Inclusivity Forum 2020 | Online
Листопад, 2020 Онлайн
— The Forum lasted an entire month
— The online format made it possible to involve regional speakers. About 70 lecturers participated.
— We discussed city accessibility, how businesses can become inclusive, the role of benefits, sports, and art in the lives of people with disabilities
— The Forum reached over half a million people
Inclusivity Forum: City of Happy People
November 2019 | Kyiv
The Inclusivity Forum has been held for the third consecutive year. This year, 546 participants registered, and more than 300 people attended the Forum. Guests came from 8 cities of Ukraine.
28 people were involved in preparing the Forum
21 volunteers were engaged
DID YOU KNOW?
How to correctly refer to a person with a disability?
Correct
Person with a disability; Person with physical / sensory / mental / intellectual impairments; Person with musculoskeletal impairments; Person with mobility impairments.
Incorrect
Disabled person; Person with limited abilities / limited physical abilities; Person with special needs; Handicapped; Person with “special features”; Special person; Inferior; Incapacitated; Suffers from disability; Inclusive people.
Source: bf.in.ua
How to correctly refer to a person who relocated due to the war?
Correct
Internally displaced person; Person who relocated from temporarily occupied territories; Forced migrant (acceptable variant); IDP (acceptable abbreviation).
Incorrect
Refugee (when referring to an internally displaced person).
People who were forced to leave their homes due to the war starting in 2014 received many names, most of which are incorrect or offensive. The term “refugee” applies to people who move to another country. Therefore, when referring to internal displacement within Ukraine caused by war and occupation of Crimea, this term is incorrect. The term “migrant” is broad and refers generally to people who have changed their place of residence and may be used in certain contexts.
Source: bf.in.ua
How to correctly refer to older people?
Correct
Older people; People of the third age; People aged 60+ / 75+.
Incorrect
People of age; Old people; Grandmothers and grandfathers; Pensioners; Elderly people.
The adjective “old” can offend groups that do not identify themselves that way, even though it may appear in media and legislation. Considering global trends of increasing life expectancy, age classification is becoming less clear. According to the World Health Organization, older age is 60–75 years, senile age is 75–90 years, and people aged 90+ are considered long-livers.
“Grandmother” and “grandfather” should be used only when indicating family relations.
The term “pensioner” should be used depending on context, as it primarily refers to a person receiving a pension regardless of age.
When it is necessary to indicate generational differences, it is appropriate to say “older generation,” “older people,” or “senior people.” In Ukrainian legislation, the term “people of advanced age” is also used, while in Europe people who have retired are often referred to as “people of the third age.”
Source: bf.in.ua