NGO «Barrier-Free»

Communication Campaign of the Ukrainian mental health program

The campaign aims to promote the formation of a culture of care for mental health in society, to provide understanding, and to showcase tools that will help Ukrainians take care of their well-being.

The communication campaign was launched as part of the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska to create the Ukrainian mental health program. The development and implementation of the Program are coordinated by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, with the World Health Organization (WHO) as an expert partner and the NGO «Barrier-Free» as an executive partner. The Interdepartmental Coordination Council under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is a platform for decision-making and development.

Special page «How are you?»

The «How are you?» page was created as part of Ukrainian mental health program communication campaign initiated by Olena Zelenska. «How are you?» brings together contacts, links, guidance, products, techniques, and methods to help care for mental health - one's own and those around them.

Amidst the alarming daily news, rocket attacks, human suffering, and misery, asking oneself, «How are you?» may seem out of place. But in reality, psychological well-being and understanding what is happening in one's inner world are more important than ever.

Barrier-Free Hospitals. Updated State Building Codes

NGO «Barrier-Free», as part of the working group created by the Ministry of Regional Development at the request of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, participated in improving the state building codes «Buildings and Structures. Healthcare Facilities». The updated codes came into effect on March 1, 2023, and will apply to new construction, reconstruction, and major renovation of existing medical facilities.

Because of these changes, healthcare facilities in Ukraine will gradually become barrier-free, making them barrier-Free and comfortable for patients and medical staff.

Communication strategy of the Ukrainian mental health program

A communication strategy is an opportunity to openly discuss topics stigmatized in society for decades. Why? Because of stigma. Lack of understanding of the value of mental health as well as the habit of taking care of it. The communication strategy is intended to become a guide, a router, a source of knowledge and understanding of what is happening to us and how we can cope.

The Strategy was developed with the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Video clips on how to overcome stress

What is the nature of stress, and why it is necessary? The importance of rest and self-development during the war. The power of questions like «how are you feeling» or «what are you feeling right now». Is suppressing emotions an excellent way to endure everything happening, or a harmful behavioral model?

A series of animated video clips created as part of the Ukrainian mental health program initiated by Olena Zelenska, with explicit images and simple language, answers these questions and provides advice on psychological support for oneself and those around one.

Plan of Action for the implementation of the National Barrier-Free Strategy

The action plan is a «roadmap» for each ministry implementing the National Barrier-Free Strategy. It includes more than 472 initiatives the government must implement by the end of 2024. Eight priority projects have been identified, which have become vital for all state bodies in implementing the National Strategy.

The changes provided for in the Plan of Action are united in six areas of barrier-free: physical, informational, digital, civic, economic, and educational. Like the National Barrier-Free Strategy, the document was developed with broad public involvement.

A special multi-genre project «Living On»

«Living On» is an inspiring series of filmed stories showing the strength and resilience of Ukrainians during wartime. An essential component of the project is practical guidance and recommendations from experts.

The «Living On» special project was launched as part of the Ukrainian mental health program initiated by Olena Zelenska 1+1 media group in partnership with our nonprofit organization and with the support of the Smart Angel charity organization.

Audit of Citizens' Needs for Mental Health Services and Psychosocial Support

This audit aimed to identify priority groups in the population that requires the most urgent response from the mental health care system, with differentiation of the areas of priority and prospective mechanisms for working with such groups, as well as to analyze the dynamics of the mental health state of citizens. An audit of the existing resources for providing mental health services was also conducted.

Our nonprofit organization conducted these audits with the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The Center of Economic Recovery provided analytical and technical support for the project.

Barrier-Free Solutions Album

Barrier-Free Solutions Album is a practical guide for designers and architects of public spaces, created as part of the «Barrier-free» initiative by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska. It recommends and illustrates through examples how urban environments can be friendly to diverse users, including parents with young children, older people, people with disabilities, and others. We all can become temporarily disabled and need a comfortable and barrier-free space around us, and this need has only increased in the conditions of full-scale war.

The album promotes a person-centered approach to design, where everyone will feel equally comfortable and at ease. It offers a new philosophy that is not limited to physical accessibility but is aimed at transforming attitudes and perceptions toward different people and their needs.

Monthly reviews of the «Business Without Barriers» community

After a full-scale invasion, the «Business Without Barriers» community directed additional efforts toward supporting Ukrainian defenders, Ukrainians, and Ukraine. Every month, you can read about the community's life and its participants in a special digest.

«Business Without Barriers» is a community of companies united around the First Lady «Without Barriers» initiative. Its members include businesses from the energy, food industry, public catering, IT, financial sector, and more.

«Diia. Barrier-Free» – a section on the State Services Portal

The goal of the «Diia. Barrier-Free» section launched in December 2022 on the Diia portal is to simplify communication between people and the state. It provides easy-to-understand information about public services and contains useful materials and instructions for internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, parents, older people, and those seeking employment. For example, you can learn how to use the electronic pension book, find a job without experience, apply for a housing subsidy, or learn what new parents need to know.

«Diia. Barrier-Free» was created as part of the «Barrier-Free» initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Transformation with the support of the UN Development Program in Ukraine and the Government of Sweden. Our NGO provided analytical support.

Studying international experience in building mental health systems

Collecting data on the basic principles of creating mental health systems in developed countries. Analysis of successful and undesirable experiences and consequences for the population. Isolating principles and approaches that can be used to improve the mental health care system in Ukraine.

The study of international experience became possible with the sincere support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The Center of Economic Recovery provided analytical and technical support for the project.

Live streams with psychologists

Every Wednesday, on our Facebook page, we host live conversations with experts in the mental health field on topics that are currently most concerning to Ukrainians. Those unable to join online can watch the live streams in a recording.

The series of live streams are part of the Ukrainian mental health program initiated by Olena Zelenska.

Ethics of Interaction during periods of stress

This is a section of the «Barrier-free handbook» created as part of the Ukrainian mental health program initiated by Olena Zelenska. It provides recommendations for caring for oneself and others and guidance on the ethics of interacting with a diverse population. For example, whether it is appropriate to take a blind person by the arm or how to communicate with a person with hearing impairments.

The «Barrier-free handbook» guides proper communication, a flagship project of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.

Basic skills of self-care and care for others (Guidebook)

We may feel like losing our usual radars and support systems in stressful situations. We can quickly start blaming ourselves and diminishing our accomplishments. This Guidebook offers techniques for helping others but ourselves first and foremost because no matter what, we need to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first.

The Guidebook is based on materials from WHO and is an adapted manual called «Basic psychosocial skills. A guide for people involved in responding to COVID-19».

Techniques for supporting oneself and others from Ukrainian celebrities

Ukrainian celebrities and TV presenters share quick techniques in one-minute video clips that help them deal with stress. Try using these exercises in your everyday life – it's easier than you think.

The project «Be honest, how are you?» aims to promote a culture of caring for mental health and is executed with the support of the WHO. The expert support was provided by the Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center «Lisova Polyana» of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Stress Management Course in the BetterMe: Mental Health App

The BetterMe: Mental Health app features an integrated stress management course. Creating the app was possible with the expert support of WHO in collaboration with our nonprofit organization and BetterMe. The course introduces self-help skills in a user-friendly and interactive format. What to do when you feel overwhelmed? How to navigate emotional storms? How to stay true to your values and not lose yourself?

BetterMe: Mental Health is an app for comprehensive mental health care and has been free for users in Ukraine since February 2022.

The «Business Without Barriers» community

The initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, «Without Barriers», has inspired large Ukrainian and international companies to unite around free philosophy.

Thus, the «Business Without Barriers» community, which has more than two dozen members, was formed. Among them are «Ukrposhta», «Oschadbank», «Ukrzaliznytsia», 1+1 Media, DTEK, SOCAR Energy Ukraine, work.ua, ATB Corporation, Danone Ukraine, Visa, First Ukrainian International Bank (FUIB), the hotel group «Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv» and «Riviera House», PrivatBank, McDonald's in Ukraine, Coca-Cola Ukraine, the retail chain «Foxtrot», IT company EPAM Ukraine, the book platform Yakaboo, the supermarket chain «Silpo», the law firm «Asters», the store network «Fora», and Mastercard.

Case studies of members of the «Business without Barriers» community

Nearly every company in the community has experience in implementing barrier-free practices. For example, there are cases of age, disability, gender-inclusive employment, the introduction of a dual form of education, creating jobs for people who cannot work full-time for various reasons, and more.

Companies also create and develop joint projects, including an electronic version of the «Barrier-free handbook».

«Book Psychologist» section in collaboration with Yakaboo

The #BookPsychologist section on social media platforms answers questions related to mental health. For example, how to support a teenager and the specific characteristics of this age group, how reading strengthens the brain, how to cope with stress, what resilience is and how to develop it, and more. The section also recommends specialized literature.

Yakaboo is a national book platform and a «Business without Barriers» community member. The project is implemented within the Ukrainian mental health program initiated by Olena Zelenska. The section's content is developed with the consultation support of leading Ukrainian experts

An animated film about tolerant communication

The main idea of the animated film produced as part of the «Barrier-free» initiative by Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, is that life changes begin with tolerant language.

The one-and-a-half-minute animated video shows the stories of different people as if they were living in two separate realities. The first is a society that is intolerant of diversity and where interactions and communication barriers are created. The second is a reality where everyone is treated with respect, and their worth is reflected in the language used to address them. For instance, instead of using the inappropriate term «single mother», the film advocates for the use of «a woman raising a child alone» and similarly suggests using «a person with Down syndrome» instead of the derogatory term «Down's person», and «an older person» instead of «senior».

The film refers to the «Barrier-free handbook», a guide to correct communication that emphasizes the person's centrality rather than their diagnosis, distinct features, or social status.

«Barrier-free State» (educational course)

This course is aimed at civil servants – they have one of the essential roles in shaping a new social norm. Moreover, the trust in the state and the authorities at all levels depends on their reputation.

The basic principles of barrier-free services are explained in six episodes ranging from 6 to 10 minutes, including how to adhere to them in communication with citizens. The course was created as part of the «Barrier-Free» initiative by First Lady Olena Zelenska.

Recommendations on how to design an accessible playground for children

The guide «How to design an accessible playground for children» contains practical experience from the Cherkasy Regional State Administration, which supported the First Lady «Without Barriers» initiative.

The guide's sections are essentially step-by-step recommendations for communities building an barrier-free public space friendly to families with children and other members of the population with limited mobility.

Educational series «Barrier-free Literacy»

«What is barrier-free, and who does it concern?» The educational series «Barrier-free Literacy» provides answers. It consists of eight episodes lasting 6-10 minutes each and is available for free viewing on the «Diia. Digital Education» website.

The series was created as part of the initiative of Olena Zelenska in partnership with the President of Ukraine's Advisor on Barrier-Free, our NGO, representatives of civil society, and experts with the support of the UNDP project «Human Rights for Ukraine», funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

The book «World Without Borders»

The book «World Without Borders» discusses diversity and equality, tolerant communication where respect is shown in words, and everyone is accepted for who they are. The book aims to teach young children with a teacher's guidance, and over 20,000 copies have been distributed to Ukrainian schools.

The publication's author is Anastasiia Stepula, an expert in communicating with people with neurodiversity. Kateryna Pokladova created the illustrations. The project was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Book Institute, and the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, «Without Barriers». The «Osnovy» publishing house published the book.

The Pinzel Museum (Guide)

From concept to implementation, this guide tells the story of the changes made to the Pinzel Museum, which has become fully accessible to diverse populations, including those with visual and hearing impairments, older visitors, and individuals with autism. The barrier-free features include tactile navigation, sound beacons at the entrance, Braille font, a mnemonic map, audio guides, video descriptions, and more. Pinzel's sculptures have been 3D-printed, enabling visually impaired individuals to «see» them by touch.

This guide may be helpful for cultural institutions that aim to become barrier-free for their visitors.

Communication strategy for the Action Plan on implementing the National Barrier-Free Strategy

For the state's voice on barrier-free to be unified, with strategic emphasis and correct arguments, a Communication strategy for the Action Plan on implementing the National Strategy for creating an barrier-free environment in Ukraine has been adopted. The basis for its development was a content analysis of the media on the manifestation of barrier-free from January to June 2021, a quantitative study of knowledge and understanding of the term «barrier-free», and expert interviews with stakeholders and communication teams of ministries.

The document defines strategic goals and indicators for their achievement, narrative, and critical messages and coordinates the communication work of all government agencies in this direction.

Illustrations from the series «Barrier-Free is...»

«Barrier-Free is...» is a series of pictures created specifically for the «Barrier-free handbook» by Ukrainian illustrator Olga Degtyaryova. The images visualize various life situations and scenarios, featuring, among others, older people, people with disabilities, and parents with young children.

This way, a new philosophy of barrier-free is revealed, where we are all an integral part of society, where everyone should feel comfortable regardless of gender, age, physical or other differences, and where everyone is provided with equal rights and opportunities for realization.

After the full-scale invasion by Russia, an additional series of illustrations were created – «In wartime».

«Barrier-free handbook»

«Barrier-free handbook» is a guide to tolerant interaction created at the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, in collaboration with public organizations, human rights activists, psychologists, and parents raising children with disabilities, as well as Ukrainian and international experts. It is an open-source project – its electronic version is regularly enriched with relevant information, considering the realities of wartime.

The printed guide is multi-format – with Braille font, embossed printing, QR codes for Ukrainian sign language translation, and audio description. The project partners include the «Business Without Barriers» community members – the DTEK group, Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv, the Yakaboo book platform, Oschadbank, and the World Health Organization Ukraine and Ist publishing.

Research study on city's accessibility

Research on the city's accessibility is the initial stage of work on the Barrier-Free Solutions Album. Its goal is to identify central accessibility issues in cities and provide regulatory documents that regulate their resolution. As practice shows, people who impact the accessibility of the surrounding spaces do not always fully realize the scale of accessibility problems.

The study will be valuable for municipal workers, communal enterprises, building and housing owners, architects, designers, builders, representatives of housing co-operatives, and others.

«Laboratory of Barrier-Free Solutions»

Slavutych became the first Ukrainian city to support the initiative «Without Barriers» by Olena Zelenska, signing a Memorandum with the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development to develop barrier-free architecture.

Thus, the small city in the Kyiv region became a laboratory for developing and implementing practical solutions for barrier-free architecture, the most successful of which are planned to be spread throughout Ukraine.

National Barrier-Free Strategy

Barrier-free has become a part of state policy since, in April 2021, the Government approved the National strategy for the development of barrier-free area in Ukraine for the period up to 2030. The document includes initiatives to remove barriers in various areas of life, expand opportunities, and ensure equal rights for all Ukrainians.

The National Strategy was developed as part of the initiative of Olena Zelenska and under the decree of the President of Ukraine. The Strategy is the result of collaborative work between government representatives, civil society, and experts.

The National Barrier-Free Strategy is a signal from the state on how to act, a guide to follow. Having it makes it easier to implement joint decisions with the community at the local level to develop barrier-free.

«Barrier-free stories that inspire»

A series of video stories about people who ruin barriers and bring Ukraine closer to the future where no one feels excluded from social life. The goal of the project is to showcase people and their initiatives that are changing cities and the country, to introduce those who overcome obstacles for themselves and others, and to give a voice to everyone who wants to see fewer barriers around us.

The video series is created as part of the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, «Without Barriers».

Guide to Auditing Public Spaces for Accessibility

Auditing is essential if you want to make the space around you barrier-free. The guide contains clear and easy-to-follow instructions for assessing the accessibility of streets, public spaces, buildings, and facilities. Bonus: the guide comes with a questionnaire for collecting information gathered during the audit. It is very convenient.

The team created these products at ORFO Universal Design Studio with expert support from our nonprofit organization.

Barrier-free. Special Page on the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Website

This particular page on the website of the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine provides information on news, products, best practices, and research related to the topic of barrier-free. The page includes current legislative acts, the National Barrier-Free Strategy, and its Communication Strategy. All documents are available in a convenient downloadable format.

Thoughts and views of Ukrainians on barrier-free in society

Three-quarters of Ukrainians consider addressing barrier-free issues in Ukraine relevant, and 56% rate the level of barrier-free in the country as low or deficient. These are the findings as of the end of 2020 from a nationwide survey initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.

The thoughts and views of Ukrainians on barrier-free were studied by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology and the National Institute for Strategic Studies in partnership with our nonprofit organization. The survey was conducted utilizing face-to-face interviews among 1809 respondents from across the country, excluding temporarily occupied territories. The data obtained served as a starting point for future actions toward barrier-free.

A Big Conversation About Barrier-free

Any barriers can be removed or shifted but must first be acknowledged. With these words, in May 2020, the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, started «A Big Conversation About Barrier-free». The dialogue aimed to understand the most common obstacles Ukrainians face and develop a plan to overcome them in the future. An online survey was launched, with over 37,000 people participating.

The results of «A Big Conversation» became the basis for the first steps toward creating an barrier-free space in Ukraine. They also launched the «Barrier-Free» initiative to create equal opportunities for all Ukrainians, including older people, persons with disabilities, families with children, and others.