Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, attended a significant meeting of the community «Business without Barriers» that unites companies under the initiative of the President's wife «Barrier-Free».
Also present were: Deputy Prime Minister for Ukraine's Recovery Oleksiy Kuleba, Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Andriy Pyshny, Minister for Veterans Affairs Natalia Kalmykova, local leaders, Minister of Social Policy Denys Uliutin, international partners, and representatives from NGOs.
Olena Zelenska stated: «When the state, together with UNICEF, launched a social change campaign in June, it was aptly named: «Barrier-Free – When You Can». This was specifically designed so that each person feels that it concerns them and their needs. When an individual understands how the problem pertains to them, they become an active participant in change».
Meeting participants exchanged experiences on implementing barrier-free initiatives. DTEK representatives discussed adapting mining areas for employment of people with disabilities, Ukrzaliznytsia – about transforming train stations and launching an inclusive carriage, while «Silpo» presented a project on accessible self-service checkouts.
They also discussed preparing a guide titled «Barrier-Free in Financial Services: Practical Guide», which is being developed with the support of Oschadbank, PrivatBank, PUMB, and Visa in collaboration with the NBU and NGO «Barrier-Free». The goal is to establish rules for providing services to people with special needs.
A separate panel discussion focused on the «Movement without Barriers» program by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, concerning adaptations for public transport stops, schools, hospitals, and other facilities for people with special needs.
Olena Zelenska emphasized that barrier-free initiatives should not be a competitive field, urging businesses to collaborate in this area.
She also mentioned her recent trip to Japan, where, following the atomic bombings, tactile navigation was introduced for the visually impaired – yellow lines with special patterns on streets, sidewalks, and platforms.
«It shows that amidst reconstruction challenges, there can be time and resources for barrier-free solutions. I believe that human-centric approaches ultimately prevail», – concluded the President's wife.
