Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi has called on sports complex owners to install specialist pool lifts for people with amputations. The devices allow users to enter and exit the water safely and independently.
The meeting took place at a new indoor pool at the Training and Sports Base for Summer Sports of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, where the city’s first such lift was recently installed. The device can support loads of up to 227 kg and is operated via a remote control. Veterans and other visitors to the complex have already begun training there.
During the meeting, representatives of sports facilities were given a demonstration of the equipment in operation. Following discussions, the parties agreed to develop concrete plans for installing lifts at other pools across the city. Priority venues include Sport Life, Medyk, Dynamo, Dolphin, Eurosport, Plyazh Aquapark, Emily Resort, and Try Stykhii.
“Swimming can replace several weeks of training in other sports. More than 58,000 people in Lviv have experience of war. Some of them have lost limbs, and they have the right to train and recover in their own city. It is the city’s responsibility to ensure that people with disabilities have everything they need here. That is why I am asking you to make your pools accessible. We must be prepared. The city is working to improve accessibility across many areas, and sport must be accessible too.” — Andriy Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv.
The cost of a single lift ranges from 150,000 to 300,000 hryvnias, depending on the design and complexity of installation. The project is proposed as a joint initiative, funded through a combination of the city budget and private business contributions. Anton Nikulin, Director of the Sports Office of Lviv City Council, pledged to prepare relevant proposals for further discussion with all interested parties.