First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the presentation of the state standard of barrier-free language “Terminology of Barrier-Free Communication.” Government officials, international experts, educators, and representatives of civil society also attended the event.
The document contains a list of 100 words to be removed from official use. They concern the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities or neurodivergence, veterans, parents with children, and others who face prejudice.
The creation of this standard is part of the “Without Barriers” initiative implemented under the patronage of Olena Zelenska. The document is the result of a year of work by an expert group that included linguists, lawyers, and civil society activists. Experts from the Council of Europe, UNESCO, and the “Recovery for All” (RFA) project also contributed to its development.
“Someone says ‘unemployed’ or ‘homeless,’ and the label sounds final. But if we say ‘a person without a home,’ ‘a person without a job,’ it becomes clear we are speaking about circumstances that can and must change. Language is part of the dignity of both sides: the one who speaks and the one being spoken about. That is why it is time to move away from the seemingly familiar ‘deaf-mute interpreter,’ because in fact it is a ‘sign language interpreter’ – with a focus and respect for the language and those who use it,” the First Lady noted.
The approved terminology will become mandatory for official documentation, legal and academic literature, education, and public administration. The standard is also recommended for use in media and public communications.
The presentation launches an educational and informational program on non-discriminatory language, which will unite state institutions, communities, experts, civil society, the veteran community, and opinion leaders and will be implemented by the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service within the “State Without Barriers” project.
“Language is the very first form of respect and attention. If there is no respect in words, there will be none in actions. And now, by changing vocabulary to barrier-free language, we are not simply formally changing the dictionary: we want to change society’s ‘optics.’ A person and their dignity must always come first – in definitions, in the decisions of every official, of the entire state,” the First Lady emphasized.