The Ukrainian online car calling service Uklon has launched the “Inclusive” class. Veterans, soldiers and all wheelchair users will be able to move freely in specially equipped cars.
The new class of cars is available in Kyiv and its suburbs within a radius of 20 km, and further geographic expansion is planned.
In the Uklon application, you need to enter the desired route and select the appropriate class. All trips are carried out by professional drivers who have received training from Dostupno.UA on communication and interaction with people with musculoskeletal disorders.
“For Uklon, the launch of the Inclusive Class is an important step in creating equal opportunities for all Ukrainians. We believe that the project will improve the quality of life of people who use wheelchairs. As of 2021, there were more than 2 million people with disabilities in Ukraine and, unfortunately, in the conditions of a full-scale war, their number may increase. We are convinced that people with disabilities should not feel socially excluded and have problems moving around the city. So thanks to our partners Mastercard and MacPaw, who quickly supported and joined the initiative, we can present in Kyiv several adapted cars for people with disabilities who move with the help of a wheelchair. In the future, we will work on expanding the geography of the project,” says Serhiy Smus, co-founder and operations director of the Uklon company.
Cars of the “Inclusive” class are equipped with a hydraulic or mechanical lift, a ramp, special safety belts and fasteners for fixing a wheelchair.
The cost of a trip on a car of this class is 30% less than the standard fare. All income from trips will be used to cover operating costs: driver salaries and fuel.
“Our new reality is military personnel who have been disabled while protecting the country and it has changed their lives. It is important to understand that gratitude for our protection must be effective. Therefore, we support the initiative to create an Inclusive Class by Uklon and hope that other businesses will follow this example. Gratitude should be timely,” says Natalia Kalmykova, The Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation.
Maximum comfort will be provided for those who travel unaccompanied. The car driver will help to transfer luggage or personal belongings.
“Veterans, military personnel who use wheelchairs have the right to be treated with dignity and comfort, without discrimination. Soldiers sacrifice their lives and health to protect the country. We are obliged to provide them with as many amenities as possible,” says Ruslana Velychko, first deputy executive director of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs is a partner of Uklon among Ukrainian veterans and their family members
