Speech
Volodymyr Zelensky  ·  2026-09-08 00:00

Перша леді звернулася до третього щорічного національного форуму «Моя безбар’єрність – 2026»

Dear attendees, I welcome you to the start of the third "My Barrier-Free" forum. Over these years, it has become obvious: barrier-free living works only when everyone is responsible for it at once. The state sets the standards and strategy. Non-governmental organizations stay connected to people's real needs. Without this, no standard will ever work. And business turns all of this into concrete services, products, and a culture within companies. This forum is the platform that unites everyone. And today, I want to speak primarily with you, the business sector, because it is your part of this work that people see every day. Thank you to all your companies and organizations for removing barriers with me for five years now. Together with you, a national barrier-free strategy was developed, which is already being implemented. Already now, you are creating barrier-free conditions for your employees and clients. And alongside this, there is an entire infrastructure already working, which we are building together. Barrier-free driving schools, because people with disabilities need transport independence, free movement, and the confidence that they are driving not just a vehicle, but their own lives. " Superhero Schools" are operating, along with hospital spaces that my foundation is also helping to equip, because the opportunity to learn, discover new things, and live a normal life is already helping children in their treatment. Barrier-free routes are being developed, and more and more businesses are joining this effort. Barrier-free Service Centers are operating, adaptive sports are actively spreading, and the Oschadbank team is already conducting training for city teams on barrier-free communication. And this year, this joint work is reaching a new level. Within the framework of the barrier-free strategy, we have declared a year of education and awareness. This is already tangible . Almost 30 projects are currently being managed by various ministries. Barrier-free commissioners are appearing in communities, and the network of advocacy ambassadors is expanding. But even institutional mechanisms and services are not everything. Dignified treatment and communication are just as important. And each of you can become part of this process and implement it at your own level. Moreover, we should start from childhood. That is why it is no coincidence that this school year started with the "Language of Dignity" lesson. We moved toward this year gradually. You remember how we first approached this topic in our "Handbook of Barrier-Free Language," a guide to correct communication. Referring to it or not was always a matter of desire, personal awareness, and responsibility. But this year, I hope we can make barrier-free language a general rule. For the first time, a state standard for barrier-free terminology has appeared. It has established the vocabulary that is not just desirable, but necessary to use in official communications. The next step in this same direction is the "Language of Dignity" lesson I started with. I recently attended one of them myself. It is an educational project. And we thank Oschadbank, in particular, for their support. Its goal is to promote correct language not through orders and regulations, but primarily through a general understanding of what it is and what it is for. Some say, what will it change if we say "disabled person" or " person with a disability." I will say this: something important will definitely change. That person will finally take first place, both in our speech and in our actions. And this applies not only to children in school, but at every level: in the state, in the community, in a company. It is language that shows who we put first. Therefore, dignity is not about loud statements, but about daily phrasing, how we address, write, and speak. You, as CEOs and company representatives from various fields, know well the weight of successful and failed phrasing. In your work. Now imagine, just as your advertising slogans and brand names entered everyday speech, you can now introduce respectful communication. I know that a productive discussion, exchange of views, and sharing of experience await you today. The "Business Without Barriers" community has always been strong precisely because of this horizontal exchange. Here, in terms of barrier-free accessibility, we have no competitors, only like-minded people. In short, I believe that your experience may soon become a general trend and even a common language—a language of dignity and accessibility. Thank you. Yeah.