Oschadbank Received a PR Marathon Award for a Case Study on the Impact of Accessibility Development in Communities

Oschadbank received an award in the B2G (business-to-government) category for “Accessibility. Proper Communication” case study in the 2026 PR Case Study Competition, held as part of the annual PR Marathon organized by MMR.

Oschadbank’s case study demonstrates how an in-house corporate training program on barrier-free communication has evolved into a large-scale tool for driving change in communities. The Bank shares its insights with representatives of local governments and other institutions that interact directly with citizens.

As part of the program, about 600 community representatives in 17 cities across Ukraine – Kyiv, Rivne, Odesa, Poltava, Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Uzhhorod, Cherkasy, Dnipro, and Mykolaiv – have undergone training on barrier-free communication. Participants will subsequently share the knowledge they have gained with their communities and institutions.

According to feedback, 93% of participants noted that Oschadbank’s involvement in the training had significantly altered their awareness of accessibility and proper communication. 97% of participants are willing to practice what they’ve learned.

The strategic goal of the program is to establish a sustainable network of local trainers in barrier-free communication who could disseminate the knowledge and practices they’ve acquired within their communities.

City mayors and their deputies, deputy heads of military administrations, directors of relevant city council departments, and other officials participated in the public support of the project through media coverage. In total, more than 70 publications about the project’s implementation appeared in national and regional media.

The award Oschadbank received in the PR Case Study Competition is a recognition of the efforts of a large team that promotes accessibility at Oschadbank every day and shares the experience with others. The leader of the “My Accessibility” project is Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board; the training project for communities is organized by Olha Lappo, Accessibility Program Manager; training was conducted by in-house trainers from Oschadbank’s Human Resources Department; management from the Bank’s regional administrations were involved in the initiative; and support was provided by the marketing and PR teams. Oschadbank’s branch network – the largest in Ukraine – serves as a showcase for the “My Accessibility” project’s successful implementation.

The project to train communities in barrier-free communication is being implemented as part of First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska’s program “Barrier-Free Means You CAN,” with the support of Tetiana Lomakina, Advisor – Presidential Commissioner for a Barrier-Free Environment.

Oschadbank systematically promotes accessibility as part of its customer service and community engagement efforts. Almost 750 of the Bank's branches meet national accessibility standards, while another 44 branches were designed in-house to meet enhanced accessibility standards. In addition, 15 mobile branches provide financial services in frontline and hard-to-reach communities.

The Bank's expertise in creating accessible infrastructure and developing proper communication has shaped a training program that allows practical skills to be shared with local partners – directly where they interact with citizens.