Ināra has lived in Jaunciems since childhood. She has been using a wheelchair for several decades, but this has not diminished her energy or her desire to remain active in society. Ināra is involved with the Jūlijs Foundation for People with Disabilities, where she advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, and she also takes an active part in the life of her local community.
Family has always been particularly important to Ināra. She speaks proudly about her children and her granddaughter, whose upbringing she was actively involved in. Even while using a wheelchair, Ināra took her granddaughter to kindergarten and extracurricular activities, picked her up from school, and looked after her while her parents were at work. Today, her children visit their mother regularly and help with household tasks, while an assistant also provides support in her daily life.
Accessibility improvements carried out by Riga City Municipality with funding from the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility have made Ināra’s daily life safer and considerably more convenient. A smooth paved surface has been installed by her home, along with an electrically operated gate.
Previously, whenever someone rang at the gate, Ināra had to go through several steps before she could let a visitor into the yard. She often had to transfer to another wheelchair before making her way to the gate. Leaving the house along the gravel path and opening the gate by hand also required considerably more effort. Now, the gate can be opened using a remote control, while the new paving allows her to move around the yard safely and comfortably in her wheelchair.
“It gives me a sense of security. In a way, it gives me greater independence. It is very convenient,” says Ināra.
“It gives me a sense of security. In a way, it gives me greater independence. It is very convenient,” says Ināra. Her story shows that independence does not mean being alone. It means having the opportunity, with an accessible environment and the support of family and society, to continue living a full and active life.
In cooperation with municipalities across Latvia, the Ministry of Welfare has improved accessibility in the homes of more than 200 people with disabilities by autumn 2026, with funding from the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility under the second round of the investment “Measures to Promote Access to Public Services and Employment for People with Functional Impairments”. Ināra’s home is one of them.
These improvements make everyday life easier, giving people greater freedom to plan their daily activities and allowing them to devote much more of their time to what truly matters.
Because every person matters.
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