Oschadbank scales up the experience of inclusiveness: training on barrier-free communication for communities was held in Khmelnytskyi

Oschadbank continues to implement a large-scale program for building an inclusive environment in Ukraine. On March 11-12, a two-day training workshop, «Accessibility. Correct communication» took place in Khmelnytskyi for representatives of local self-government bodies and regional military administration.

About 30 specialists who work with community residents every day took part in the event. The training is aimed at forming practical skills of interaction with people with disabilities. A separate block of training was devoted to correct communication with people who have combat experience. Participants also gained practical skills in supporting people with vision loss and familiarized themselves with first aid algorithms in case of an epileptic attack. In addition, participants deepened their understanding of how accessibility principles should be integrated into the daily work of authorities and management decisions.

Khmelnytskyi became the seventh city within the framework of the all-Ukrainian series of 21 trainings, covering all regional centers of the country. Training has already been held in Rivne, Odesa, Poltava, Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, and Zhytomyr. Oschadbank is the only bank in Ukraine that systematically conducts such trainings, scaling its own experience in implementing barrier-free.

Oschadbank is one of the leaders in creating a barrier-free environment in the financial sector and actively shares the practices developed. Today, there are 33 inclusive branches created according to Oschadbank's own project. They are arranged according to higher accessibility standards. More than 740 branches of Oschadbank comply with state building standards of barrier-free, and more than 1,300 employees have undergone face-to-face training in inclusive communication.

“Barrier-free accessibility is primarily respect, mindfulness, and understanding of the needs of each person. Oschadbank has gone through a significant path of transformation and today feels responsible for the spread of this culture outside the banking sector. Our task is to help communities create an environment in which everyone feels equal among equals,” noted Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank.

The ultimate goal of the project is to form a network of barrier-free communication trainers in local authorities who will be able to spread these approaches in the work of state and communal services throughout the country.

The initiative is implemented within the framework of the program of First Lady Olena Zelenska, «Barrier-free means when you CAN» with the support of Tetiana Lomakina,  Advisor-Presidential Commissioner for a Barrier-Free Environment.