Difficulties can affect anyone, and they come in many forms. Today, a social service is no longer just a place to apply for benefits. The Social Service of Madona Municipality, located at 3 Blaumaņa Street in Madona, is a place where people come for support and assistance in a wide range of life situations. To ensure that this support is truly accessible to everyone and that people can focus on receiving services rather than overcoming additional barriers, accessibility improvements have been made to the building.
These improvements were implemented with co-financing from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, within the investment developed by the Ministry of Welfare “Measures to improve access to public services and employment opportunities for persons with functional impairments”.
At the entrance to the building, a convenient parking space for persons with disabilities has been created, and the access ramp has been rebuilt. It is now useful not only for people using wheelchairs, but also for parents with strollers and anyone who finds it difficult to use stairs. The wide entrance doors open automatically. The renovated interior has been intentionally designed in a simple and clear way to make it easy for everyone to navigate. Informational signs are bright and easy to notice, and tactile indicators have been installed to support people with visual impairments.
Throughout the entire ground floor, doorways have been widened and all thresholds have been removed. This significantly improves mobility, as there are no obstacles for wheels or feet. Parents with young children now find it much easier to move around, and all rooms are accessible to people using wheelchairs.
To ensure comfort and privacy, a cosy, closed consultation room has been created for individual meetings with social service specialists. The entrance hall has been designed as a spacious area, allowing the service to host events for residents. For example, regular client days are organised, where visitors can explore available assistive devices and choose the most suitable ones.
An induction loop system has also been installed in the hall to help people with hearing aids better understand information during events. The head of the Social Service, Ilze Fārneste, notes that although there has not yet been an opportunity to test it in practice, the service wants to be prepared for such situations, as every person matters here.
A spacious, safe and easy-to-use hygiene room has also been created to ensure comfort for all visitors.
Ilze Fārneste emphasises that an accessible environment helps people feel safer and more independent: “Our service is visited daily by people with very different needs. The clearer and easier the environment is to use, the easier it is for people to focus on what matters to them. Stress is reduced, and the work becomes more productive.”
The Madona Municipality also highlights that such improvements are important for the entire community. Deputy Chair of the Council Zigfrīds Gora notes: “In Madona, we are purposefully working to make municipal infrastructure, including social services and their environment, accessible to as many people as possible. This is a key prerequisite for building an inclusive society. The opportunities provided by European Union funds allow us to move forward much faster in the development of our municipality. We would like to thank the Ministry of Welfare for the initiative and the opportunity to apply for Recovery Fund co-financing to make this building more accessible to our residents and visitors.”
Residents of Madona also appreciate the improvements. A visitor to the service, Ilze, says that the new environment is noticeably more comfortable: “It is now much easier to get here and to be here. It really feels like people have been thought about.”
A young resident, Reinis, also emphasises the importance of accessibility for society as a whole: “These changes show that everyone is being considered. The more accessible the environment, the more people can fully participate in society.”
These practical improvements may seem small in everyday life, but they are well worth the investment, as they significantly improve people’s experience – allowing services provided in public buildings to be accessed more safely, comfortably and with greater dignity.
Because every #person matters
#NextGenerationEU #SocialSecurity
