Oschad launches "My Barrier-Free" program to continue development of its previous inclusive initiatives

A new stage in the development of inclusiveness – the introduction of the My Barrier-Free program  –  was announced today by Oschadbank at a presentation at the Kyiv Veteran Hub. The initiative, which is a logical continuation of the bank's previous efforts to gradually transform its branch network into a barrier-free environment, will now largely focus on improving the quality of services for people with disabilities and war veterans. In addition to facilitating accessibility of bank branches, the My Barrier-Free program includes communication and service components.

The work to ensure that Oschadbank branches meet inclusivity standards did not stop even during the full-scale war. In addition to the 25 branches created by Oschad under its own inclusive institution project (two of which, unfortunately, are located in the temporarily occupied territory), the bank certifies ordinary branches in accordance with the state standards DBN B 2.2-40:2018 "Inclusiveness of Buildings and Structures". To date, expert opinions on accessibility have been obtained for almost 50% of the Oschadbank network. Overall, this network includes about 1,200 branches and is the largest among Ukrainian bank networks. It is planned that Oschad will continue to transform its branches into inclusive ones and increase the share of institutions that meet the state requirements for inclusiveness.

Another area of My Barrier-Free is communication. It involves the creation of a separate service model to serve people with disabilities and veterans. Oschad branches will have special employees responsible for communicating with this category of customers. They’ll get special training and will help with a much wider range of issues that aren’t necessarily related to banking services. The bank's service standards and brand book will be amended accordingly.

New IT solutions will also play an important role in the program. This includes increasing the number of Oschadbank's ATMs/IPTs that are friendly to people with disabilities, introducing video identification of customers, and bringing the official website and mobile application in line with the latest inclusivity standards.

"The entire society must now think about how to facilitate the lives of individuals with disabilities. Among them are many war veterans who have returned or will return from the front. Hundreds of thousands of them have been seriously injured, and the number of soldiers with amputations alone is estimated at tens of thousands. We all owe our veterans and must provide them with the most comfortable living conditions upon their return home. The My Barrier-Free program is Oschadbank's response to this challenge. By implementing it, we will be able to bring our financial institution closer to the best international standards in this area," said Oschadbank Chairman of the Management Board Sergii Naumov.

"We approached the matter of serving people with disabilities in a comprehensive manner. We conducted a series of interviews with experts and people with disabilities, studied the corresponding domestic and international standards, and interviewed employees and customers. We listened to the wishes of all stakeholders and identified "pain points" that we will gradually eliminate in the course of implementing the My Barrier-Free program. It is very important for us that the efforts that the bank has already made in the field of inclusiveness continue, taking into account the recent changes in our country," said Anton Tyutyun, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank.

During the event, another initiative with the participation of Oschad related to veterans was presented, namely a mobile rehabilitation module to be opened by the end of next month in Ovruch (Zhytomyr region). The project is being implemented by the Mindy Charitable Foundation in cooperation with the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the NGO Bezbariernist within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program "Are You OK?", which is being implemented at the initiative of First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska. The project was made possible thanks to the support of Visa and Oschadbank with the assistance of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration.

At the event, Oschadbank and Veteran Hub also signed a cooperation agreement within the HR Praktyka project on employment and adaptation of war veterans.

The presentation was supported by Business Without Barriers, a community of motivated companies that united around Olena Zelenska's initiative "Without Barriers." Currently, the community, including Oschad, counts more than two dozen companies.