The Judicial Palace in Olomouc will undergo accessibility improvements

Olomouc - The building of the District Court in Olomouc will finally receive barrier-free modifications and an elevator this year. Its absence has complicated the work of employees and people with disabilities who need to visit the historic building for many years. The investment will require 3.5 million Czech crowns. In addition to the elevator, there will also be an access path for wheelchair users and barrier-free sanitary facilities, writes the Olomoucký deník today.
    The court has requested funding several times in the past, and was only successful last year. Initially, the court's management expected that the elevator could be finished by the end of last year. "Unfortunately, it is not going as quickly as we had hoped. We were concerned about whether the Ministry of Justice would provide us with the funds, as the requirement was to invest them by the end of the year," said the court chairwoman, Hana Šimková. Despite the delay, the ministry eventually released the funds, and construction should begin within a few months. "We are currently handling the building permit, and the company is preparing the project. The elevator should be operational by mid of this year," Šimková specified.
    People with disabilities have long pointed out the complicated access to the building. For example, wheelchair users had to be carried up the stairs by judicial guards and could not move freely around the building. The absence of an elevator is also considered a serious problem by its employees. Tons of files stored in the basement must be carried by judges and clerks up dozens of steps by hand.
    The court consulted the construction with heritage protectors as well. Together, they concluded that the impressive entrance to the justice palace and its interior with the mirrored staircase cannot be disrupted. Barrier-free access will be addressed through a side entrance via the courtyard.