Ulaanbaatar city, December 9, 2022 – Founder of "Universal Progress", an association for people with disabilities Mr. Ch.Undrakhbayar visited the MCA-Mongolia office at the invitation of the MCA-Mongolia Gender and Social Inclusion Team, and presented on the topic of "Universal Design -Accessible Environment".

The guest speaker explained in his speech that behind the concept of "universal design" there are planning and designing methods and principles that aim to make any product, service, and environment accessible to people with disabilities. He elaborated on the example of his own life, how any building constructed according to the universal design creates a smooth, humane and friendly environment for all citizens to work and live, such as children, the elderly, parents traveling with baby carriages, employees who have temporarily lost their ability to work, etc.

In the end, there was a constructive exchange of views on how MCA-Mongolia works to incorporate universal design principles into the design of major infrastructures and plants being built under the MCC-Mongolia Water Compact.

Mr. Ch.Undrakhbayar is now serving as a Social Policy and Development Adviser of the Prime Minister of Mongolia.  

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This $462 million project is a partnership between the American and Mongolian people made possible by $350m in MCC grant funding and the $111.76m contribution from the Government of Mongolia which demonstrates their commitment to working together to achieve economic growth and poverty reduction in Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolia Water Compact is funding major infrastructure projects, including the construction of new wellfields and two large plants - an Advanced Water Purification Plant and Water Recycling Plant which will be the first of their kind in Mongolia. In addition, the Compact will invest in policy measures to create a financially and environmentally sustainable future for the water sector of Ulaanbaatar. As a result, the water system in Ulaanbaatar will have been expanded to deliver 80% more drinking water, allowing for the city’s future expansion.