On January 23, researchers from the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Economics and Rural Development, Dr. Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė and Dr. Monika Belhaj, visited Ignalina. During the visit, they met with the representatives of several local institutions to discuss the current state of service accessibility. Later, a meeting with the Mayor of Ignalina District, Laimutis Ragaišis, took place. Together with the head of the local development strategy administration, Dr. Ligita Smagurauskienė, the researchers presented the international project “GRANULAR”, in which the Ignalina District Local Action Group participates as a partner.
Drawing on the experience of Scandinavian and other countries, Lithuania aims to establish a “replication lab” in the Ignalina District, where the methods and tools developed within the project will be applied. Ignalina District has been selected as a pilot for evaluating the accessibility of services and infrastructure following universal design principles. The initiative also seeks to enhance the region’s attractiveness for residents and tourists while developing research-based solutions. It is expected that the project’s outcomes, findings, and recommendations will contribute to improving public service and infrastructure accessibility not only in Ignalina but across all Lithuanian regions.