First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in a meeting of the “Business Without Barriers” community, which brings together companies united around the First Lady’s “Without Barriers” initiative.
The event was also attended by: Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine – Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba, Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Andriy Pyshnyy, Minister for Veterans Affairs Nataliia Kalmykova, community leaders, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine Denys Uliutin, international partners, and representatives of the non-governmental sector.
“When in June the state, together with UNICEF, launched a campaign for social change, it received a very apt name: ‘Barrier-Free Means When You Can.’ The title was chosen so that each person could feel it was about them and their needs. Because when a person understands how a problem directly affects them, they are more likely to become a co-creator of change,” Olena Zelenska said.
Participants of the meeting shared their experience in implementing barrier-free solutions. In particular, DTEK representatives spoke about adapting the surface areas of mines for the employment of people with disabilities and changing labor standards for workers; Ukrzaliznytsia representatives told about station renovations and the launch of an inclusive railcar; and the “Silpo” retail chain presented a project for introducing accessible self-checkout counters.
The event also addressed the preparation of the guide “Barrier-Free in Financial Services: A Practical Handbook,” being developed with the support of Oschadbank, PrivatBank, PUMB, and Visa, in cooperation with the NBU and the NGO “Barrier-Free.” The aim of the program is to establish regulations for providing services to people with special needs, including authentication procedures for individuals with facial injuries and reviewing documents for people with visual impairments. This guide will serve as a reference for all service providers in the banking sector and as the basis for an NBU resolution.
A separate panel discussion was devoted to the implementation of the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development’s program “Movement Without Barriers.” The initiative focuses on adapting public transport stops, schools, hospitals, cultural centers, bank branches, supermarkets, and cafés for people with special needs.
The First Lady emphasized that barrier-free development is not a sphere of competition and urged businesses to work together in this area.
Olena Zelenska noted that she had recently returned from Japan, which, after the atomic bombings and the destruction of its cities, invented tactile street navigation – yellow strips with special patterns on streets, sidewalks, and platforms – which have now become commonplace around the world.
“It turns out that even amid difficult reconstruction, there was time, capacity, and resources for barrier-free solutions. Or perhaps the opposite: it was precisely the attitude toward people as a value to be preserved that led to further success. I am convinced this connection exists – that in the long run, people-centered approaches prevail, both in defense and in business,” the First Lady concluded.