The International Day of People with Disabilities is about equality, not compassion.

My name is Roman Yurchuk. In 2016, after a car accident in which I broke my neck, my life changed dramatically. As a person with a disability, I face social, psychological, medical, physical, and economic barriers every day that need to be overcome.

The Agape Rehabilitation Center helped me not only recover physically but also become a part of society. There, I found faith in God, which became a real support for me.
But even after returning home, the difficulties did not end. I lived on the third floor of a building without an elevator, and this was just one of the many barriers I had to overcome. Thanks to God’s support and the help of my friends, I did not stop but learned to overcome all challenges.

The International Day of People with Disabilities reminds us that barrier-free accessibility is important not only for people with disabilities but also for the elderly, parents with baby strollers, pregnant women, and anyone else who needs accessibility.

Today, I live in Germany, where society is working on barrier-free access, but I dream that every country in the world will work on it. Equality is about creating conditions for a comfortable and active life for everyone.

Accessibility is not about compassion but about justice and the opportunity for everyone to live a full life.