Oschadbank continues to promote a culture of accessibility: training for local government officials was held in Odesa

A two-day training workshop entitled "Accessibility. Proper Communication" was held in Odesa, initiated and organized by Oschadbank. The event was a continuation of a series of training sessions that had already taken place in Rivne, Poltava, Chernivtsi, and Vinnytsia. Odesa became the first city to host this training in 2026.

Oschad launched regional training sessions on barrier-free communication for communities with the support of Tetiana Lomakina, advisor to the President of Ukraine on accessibility issues, as part of the social change program “Barrier-free is when you CAN,” which is being implemented at the initiative of Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska.

The aim of the training sessions is to give local government representatives a modern understanding of the principles of accessibility and to develop practical skills for interacting with people with different types of disabilities, as well as with military personnel and veterans.

About 40 participants attended the training, including heads of relevant departments of the city council and military administration, and heads of district councils. These individuals engage in daily interactions with the public and make management decisions that contribute to the growth of the Odesa region. The training was conducted by Oschadbank trainers, who are experts in accessibility and correct communication.

The participants were greeted by Tetiana Lomakina, advisor to the President of Ukraine on accessibility issues; Nadiya Zadorozhna, first deputy head of the Odesa city military administration; Kostyantyn Talalaiev, acting deputy mayor of Odesa; and Valentyna Khoruzha, ambassador of the accessibility movement in Odesa. They thanked Oschadbank for sharing its practical experience, emphasized the importance of scaling up such knowledge, and expressed their readiness to continue cooperating with the bank in this area.

The training was coordinated by Olga Lappo, Head of Accessibility Projects and Programs at Oschadbank, who is responsible for developing and implementing training initiatives on accessibility and ensuring the bank's systematic approach to fostering a culture of respectful and inclusive communication.

As part of the training program, participants explored topics such as inclusive communication, tolerant language, ethics of interaction, and the specifics of supporting people with visual, hearing, and musculoskeletal impairments; mental disorders; and combat experience.

A separate practical block was a visit to the super-inclusive branch of Oschadbank in Odesa, where participants learned about solutions for creating a barrier-free space and customer service.

"Barrier-free access is not just about infrastructure. It is primarily about the culture of communication, respect, and the ability to hear the needs of each person. I would like to thank the growing number of communities for their willingness to join our practical expert programs. This is how we are working together to create an environment in which everyone can receive quality services without barriers," said Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank, responsible for retail business.

Oschadbank is consistently implementing the principles of accessibility: the first fully inclusive bank branch was opened in 2014 in Kyiv. Today, Oschadbank has 33 branches that are fully accessible to people with disabilities and low-mobility groups, as well as 731 branches that are certified as compliant with state building standards for accessibility. All the bank's more than 16,000 employees have undergone training in proper barrier-free communication.