Oschadbank and the EBA Are Establishing an Accessibility Committee to Promote Inclusive Business

Oschadbank and the European Business Association (EBA) are establishing a joint committee on accessibility. This was announced during the third annual forum “My Accessibility: Lessons Learned,” initiated and organized by Oschadbank with the support of Visa and the EBA. The committee will operate under the association’s framework and bring the business community together around practical solutions and joint advocacy for changes in the field of accessibility.

The EBA comprises approximately 1,000 companies, therefore the new platform can potentially scale accessibility practices far beyond the financial sector.

This committee is a logical extension of Oschadbank’s large-scale “My Accessibility” program and marks a new phase in the collaboration between the bank and the EBA. The parties are systematically working to ensure that accessibility becomes an established social norm and transform the labor market and service sector in line with the best European standards.

The committee will focus, in particular, on the following areas:

• Employment of people with disabilities and veterans — developing effective programs for workplace adaptation, reintegrating demobilized military personnel and encouraging businesses to create inclusive teams.
• Accessibility of the customer environment - scaling up efforts to build barrier-free infrastructure (both physical and digital) to ensure equal access to goods and services.
• Inclusive communication — fostering a culture of barrier-free communication, implementing corporate standards and conducting training for corporate staff. 
• Economic and regulatory solutions — developing proposals for government authorities to improve legislation and create economic incentives for businesses that invest in accessibility.

“The perception of accessibility in business continues to evolve: today, accessibility is no longer an optional extra but an essential component of modern business - from products and services to the work environment and the customer experience. At the same time, systemic accessibility requires more than just the efforts of individual companies; it also demands appropriate government policies, legislation and accessible infrastructure. The European Business Association has been consistently advancing this agenda: researching the extent to which accessibility is integrated into business operations, identifying key challenges, conducting training, and helping companies adopt best practices. And we see that the demand from the business community for systemic solutions keeps growing,” noted Anna Derevianko, Executive Director of the EBA.

Oschadbank emphasizes that the next step should be to scale up the experience gained beyond individual companies and to jointly advocate for the necessary changes.

“Oschadbank is systematically promoting accessibility in the financial sector — ranging from the availability of services to changes in approaches and corporate culture. At the same time, we are already sharing this experience with communities across Ukraine. As part of the joint training program “Accessibility: Proper Communication” with Tetiana Lomakina, Special Advisor to the President of Ukraine, approximately 600 representatives from municipalities, social protection agencies and utility companies have already undergone training.

Our collaboration with the EBA will help us share our experience with the broader business community — bringing together Ukrainian and international companies to exchange best practices, develop joint solutions and advocate for necessary changes. That is why, together with our long-standing partners— the European Business Association — we are establishing the Inclusion Committee,” emphasized Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank.

The new committee will operate under the auspices of the EBA with active expert and practical support from Oschadbank specialists and partners. Representatives of Ukrainian and international businesses, civil society organizations, and accessibility experts are invited to participate in the platform’s work.