News

18 June 2026

Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva conducted an on-site inspection today to verify whether Lovech Mayor Stratsimir Petkov had fulfilled the commitment he publicly made three months ago to build an access ramp for people with disabilities at a municipal building. In March, the Ombudsman held a public reception desk for citizens at that location, and at that time, a complainant was forced to wait in the rain due to the lack of accessible access to the second floor. Today, the Ombudsman and the same citizen visited the municipality’s reception office together at the “Baroque Houses” building on 29 Targovska street and found that no progress had been made regarding accessibility to the reception office itself.

During the meeting, the complainant once again raised issues related to accessibility in the city. She pointed out that some sidewalks remained inaccessible to wheelchair users, that in many places there were no ramps leading to crosswalks, and that access to public and administrative buildings, healthcare facilities, and cultural venues continued to be difficult. According to her, there are also problems with access to pedestrian bridges, as well as a lack of accessible restrooms in a number of public places. She added that these difficulties effectively limit her independent access to services such as healthcare, administrative services, and the payment of local fees and taxes.

Earlier in the day, the Ombudsman accepted an invitation from the Municipal Student Council in Lovech and met with its representatives. During the meeting, they discussed issues related to the protection of children’s and young people’s rights, opportunities to file complaints with institutions, participation in public life, online and road safety, as well as the challenges faced by young people in smaller communities. Topics discussed also included violence and bullying in schools and online, the challenges faced by children with disabilities and special educational needs, and the need for more opportunities for young people to develop and fulfill their potential in their hometowns.

The Ombudsman emphasised to the students that every child and young person had the right to be heard and to participate in decision-making processes that affected them, and encouraged them to be active citizens and to know and defend their rights.