Oschadbank implements a new Standard of State Language on Accessibility in its daily work

Oschadbank partnered with a special event called “Language of Dignity,” during which Ukraine's first Standard of State Language, “Terminology of Accessibility,” was presented to the professional community and government authorities. The document establishes a new norm for state communication and defines an approach to correct and respectful speech in the public sphere. Oschadbank is one of the first to systematically integrate its principles into its own communication practices as part of its inclusive program “My Accessibility.”

The standard is a continuation of the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine, “Without Barriers.” It unifies about 100 terms in the field of accessibility and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, people with limited mobility, veterans, parents with children, and other groups that face barriers. The approved terminology will become mandatory for official documentation, legal and scientific literature, education, and public communication.

The event was attended by Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska, Advisor to the President of Ukraine on Accessibility Issues Tetiana Lomakina, and Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna, who emphasized the need for systematic implementation of new standards and the “people first” principle.

During the panel discussion, Anton Tyutyun, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank, stressed that for a state-owned bank, accessibility is part of the professional standard of service.

"For Oschadbank, barrier-free communication is part of the bank's DNA. We work with different customer segments and understand our responsibility well. We have trained our staff, starting with the members of the board. Every new employee who comes to work in Oschadbank's retail network must undergo training and pass a test on barrier-free language. After the full-scale invasion began, we systematically reviewed our own approaches and began to spread our practices to companies and institutions that also seek to implement barrier-free standards. Language shapes the environment and sets the trend, so it is crucial to promote a culture of communication in barrier-free language," said Anton Tiutiun.

The new linguistic standard is a continuation of systematic work within the framework of Oschadbank's inclusive program “My Accessibility.” Starting in 2024, all bank employees will undergo online training on accessibility. Oschadbank has a unified algorithm for serving people with disabilities, customers with limited mobility, and veterans, which covers all stages of financial service provision. Oschadbank also shares its expertise with local authorities and state institutions, promoting the implementation of barrier-free communication standards at the community level.

The document was developed with the participation of experts from the Council of Europe, UNESCO, and the Recovery for All (RFA) project.

The new State Language Standard on Accessibility is now available on the official website of the National Commission for State Language Standards.