Oschadbank promotes a culture of barrier-free communication: training on proper communication for community leaders held in Poltava

On November 3 and 4, a regional training workshop entitled "Accessibility. Proper Communication“ was held in Poltava, organized by Oschadbank as part of the social change program ”Accessibility means you CAN." The project is being implemented on the initiative of Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska and with the support of Tetyana Lomakina, Advisor to the President of Ukraine on Accessibility Issues.

The event was attended by Tetyana Lomakina, advisor to the President of Ukraine on accessibility issues; Kateryna Yamshchykova, acting mayor of Poltava; Iryna Tverdokhlib, advisor to the mayor on accessibility issues; Olga Lappo, head of accessibility projects and programs at Oschadbank; representatives of the Poltava City Public Organization of People with Disabilities “Vira”; and specialists from local authorities.

The project aims to expand the knowledge and skills of local leaders regarding the culture and philosophy of accessibility. The training participants are people who work with citizens on a daily basis and make decisions for the development of their communities.

A series of regional training workshops is designed to strengthen understanding of the need to create a barrier-free space and to promote a culture of proper communication and respect for every person. The ultimate goal is to create an institute of barrier-free communication trainers in government agencies who will promote a culture of friendliness and inclusiveness in public and municipal services.

During the training, participants learned about strategies for creating a barrier-free environment for all groups of people and discussed approaches to ensuring equal opportunities for everyone to exercise their rights and receive services without restrictions. They learned about the rules of proper communication with people with disabilities, in particular with visual, hearing, musculoskeletal, and mental impairments, as well as with people who have combat experience. The practical part included interactive exercises, modeling, and practicing proper communication and barrier-free language skills.

“Accessibility is no longer a special project. It is here and now. And training courses make barrier-free access a reality in everyday life, education, business, and public services. It is thanks to such initiatives and cooperation between the state and businesses that a culture of mutual respect, understanding, and equality is becoming our norm. Our project does not end with training. Participants are already becoming ambassadors of change in their communities. The result should be the formation of an institute of accessibility trainers in each community," says Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank.

The training in Poltava was the first in a series of training sessions—a similar pilot event had previously taken place in Rivne. Over the past year and a half, nearly 16,000 Oschadbank employees have completed the online course “School of Inclusiveness,” and more than 1,200 have completed the two-day in-person training course “Inclusively Friendly.”

Oschadbank is consistently implementing the principles of accessibility. The first fully accessible branch of the bank appeared in Kyiv in 2014. Currently, Oschadbank has 23 such branches, built according to its own design, and 731 branches that have received certificates of compliance with state building standards in terms of accessibility.

Oschadbank actively shares its experience in implementing barrier-free initiatives with communities throughout Ukraine, contributing to the formation of a society of equality, accessibility, and inclusiveness.