More Than 400 Participants Have Already Taken Oschadbank's Training Course “Accessibility: Proper Communication”

What is barrier-free communication, what are its advantages, why should it be implemented, and why must it inevitably become the standard for communication in Ukraine—these were the first questions posed by participants in the "Accessibility: Proper Communication” training, which was launched and is being implemented by Oschadbank as part of its large-scale educational program. This training session, the 13th in a row, took place in Kyiv. More than 30 representatives of the local community, self-government bodies, public institutions, and municipal enterprises, including those in social welfare, healthcare, Administrative Service Centers, public transportation, housing and utilities, and urban development, participated.

“Accessibility has always been in Oschadbank’s DNA, and more than ten years ago we began to focus on this issue in a more targeted manner. Since then, we have built up extensive expertise in all aspects of accessibility, including proper communication. We have trained our branch network, one of the largest in the country, and we continuously keep our employees’ knowledge updated thanks to offline and online training sessions. We already share our experience and expertise with other organizations and businesses that provide services to the public to help them take important steps toward building an accessible approach and incorporating it into their strategies,” noted Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank, at the opening of the training session.

The key principle of barrier-free language is to avoid words and phrases that demonstrate a biased, stereotypical, or discriminatory attitude toward certain people or groups. This is the language that does not alienate people, either intentionally or unintentionally. This is the language ruled by one simple principle: respect the dignity of others. That is why Oschadbank implements standards of respectful communication in its operations and disseminates this knowledge among its partners.

The practical section of the training was of great interest to the participants. They developed communication skills for interacting with people with visual, hearing, and mobility impairments, as well as mental health conditions. Participants also learned the algorithm for actions in emergency situations, such as providing assistance to someone experiencing an epileptic seizure.

Oschad is an inclusive bank with high ethical standards, for which social transformation, where the services and products are focused on the individual, is a priority.  That is why this large-scale training program was launched, so that the best experience, knowledge, and practices can be shared with the local government’s partner network, which directly interacts with citizens.

The initiative is being implemented as part of First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska’s program “Barrier-Free Means When You CAN” supported by Tetiana Lomakina, Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment.

“Human capital and attention to the individual are the most valuable resources. Therefore, by promoting barrier-free communication, we are building relationships between the state, service providers, and citizens. Such interaction is about trust, and this is a pressing demand from society,” noted Tetiana Lomakina, Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment.

More than 400 people in Rivne, Odesa, Poltava, Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernihiv, and Mykolaiv have already undergone such training, and they are now sharing the knowledge they have acquired with their communities and institutions.

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Today, Oschadbank is a leader in the financial sector in terms of developing barrier-free infrastructure. Currently, over 750 of the Bank's branches meet all state standards for physical accessibility. In addition, 38 inclusive branches have been designed in-house with enhanced accessibility standards, and 14 mobile branches are operating to provide financial services in frontline and hard-to-reach communities.

The strategic goal of the project is to establish a sustainable network of local trainers specializing in barrier-free communication. Upon completion of the program, these specialists will ensure the implementation of inclusive standards in the daily operations of local government agencies and municipal institutions.