Vilnius kindergarten found to have discriminated against woman with mobility disability

The Equal Opportunities Ombudsman’s Service has ruled that the Vilnius kindergarten and nursery “Gabijėlė” discriminated against a woman with a mobility disability by failing to ensure she could independently access her child’s group, LRT reports.

The woman filed a complaint stating that the building was not accessible for wheelchair users. She said the situation worsened last year when her child’s group was moved from a modular extension to the second floor of the main building, preventing her from dropping off or picking up her child, attending parent meetings, or participating in other kindergarten events.

During the investigation, representatives of Vilnius Municipality and the kindergarten admitted the building was only partially accessible. They noted that a lift, ramp, and adapted toilet had already been installed, with plans to complete another lift for second-floor access soon.

However, the Ombudsman’s Service concluded that the woman had experienced discrimination due to her disability, as she was denied full participation in her child’s educational process. Legal officer Karolis Čepas emphasised that even while accessibility improvements were underway, the institution should have sought individual solutions, such as holding events in accessible areas like the sports hall where parent meetings take place.

“In this case, no such measures were taken, despite the institution being aware of the complainant’s needs for a long time. On the contrary, the kindergarten administration moved the complainant’s child’s group to the second floor, which was inaccessible to her,” Čepas said.

The service found that the kindergarten and its owner, Vilnius Municipality, had violated the Equal Opportunities Law. The kindergarten was recommended to fully adapt its premises for people with disabilities, while the municipality was urged to take steps to ensure accessibility across all educational institutions under its jurisdiction.