First Lady presents electronic version of Barrier-Free Handbook

The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska presented the electronic version of the "Barrier-Free Handbook."

The press service of the President's Office announced this, Rubryka reports.

It is noted that the manual is designed to fix the new rules of barrier-free language and become a guide to correct communication.

The President's wife called on the media to become ambassadors for the project, noting that visible changes are beginning in society due to the efforts and influence of the media.

"I always emphasize that barrier-free is a new norm, equal opportunities for all people and accessibility. One of the important elements of barrier-free is barrier-free language. It is a language in which there are no words or phrases that show a biased, stereotypical, or discriminatory treatment of certain people or groups. People are always in focus. The handbook will be a guide to correct communication, which notes the ethics of communication," said Zelenska.

The Barrier-Free Handbook is an open-source project, available for use and citation, which can also be supplemented. Human rights activists, psychologists, parents raising children with disabilities, Ukrainian and international experts worked on it. The handbook is available at the link.

The illustrator was artist Olha Dehtiariova.

"I wanted the illustrations to be understood equally by everyone and to resonate in everyone's heart. They also have an invisible call: look at what surrounds us differently," she said.

The compiler of the handbook, journalist Tetiana Kasian, stressed that it has long been a necessity for all people, especially for those who work in communications.

The event also announced the release of a printed version of the Barrier-Free Handbook with elements of Braille. It is scheduled for March 2022.

"There are many more meanings hidden in communication than we think. This guide will help to reveal new, additional meanings when the focus is on the person. And this will be the first step in forming a new ethic of communication," said Zelenska.