On March 1, 2017, the United Nations in the Republic of Moldova inaugurated an elevator that facilitates the access to all four floors of its headquarters in Chisinau, located on 131, 31 August 1989 Street. The external elevator was built for the benefit of people with disabilities, pregnant women, elderly people, as well as the staff bringing periodically heavy objects on different floors, IPN reports.
According to a press release of UNDP Moldova, the elevator buttons contain Braille characters, which enable its use by visually impaired persons. At the same time, the buttons have light and audio signaling devices.
The cost of this pilot project amounts to over US$ 85,000. Building this elevator is part of a broader diversity initiative, addressing intolerance and discrimination.
“One of the objectives of this initiative is to spread the word and promote change beyond the UN. We want to walk the talk and lead by example so that other employers see the value of diversity and open up their organizations to all groups in society – including the marginalized. We in the UN have learned tremendously from this initiative and one of the most important insights is that many changes do not require big budgets, but rather a change of attitude,” said Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova.
In order to ensure accessibility for persons with visual impairments, a tactile pavement has been installed in the UN House, guiding the employees or visitors on the institution’s territory. Moreover, the UN House has adapted the sanitary blocks/toilets. Furthermore, the tableware from the institution’s kitchen is brightly colored, being accessible for people with low vision.
Since 1994, the UN House has hosted several agencies, funds and programs of the United Nations, the ground floor being accessible since 2004.
