Kyiv, 4 July 2025 – About 400 representatives of state authorities and local governments underwent training in digital accessibility in late June – early July. The training sessions, organized by the Ministry of Digital Transformation and UNDP, were held in Kropyvnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Chernivtsi. 

For two days, public servants who create content and administer the web resources of state institutions learned how to create accessible online content, texts, publications and web resources, so that everyone, including people with visual, hearing or cognitive impairments, will be able to use them. 

This is the third year in a row that UNDP and the Ministry of Digital Transformation have conducted regional web accessibility training sessions across the country. This was the first time, however, that the training was conducted with the participation of specialists from the Digital Accessibility Competencies Centre. This centre, created in 2024 at the state enterprise Diia, is the first in the country to deal with digital accessibility at the state level. 

“Accessibility is not only about technology, but above all about people,” noted Anastasiia Rozykulova, a specialist in service implementation and accessibility at the State Enterprise Diia. 

“We want every Ukrainian to be able to interact with government online resources without barriers. Therefore, such training is not just learning, but a step towards a truly inclusive digital environment in Ukraine. It’s important that these processes are participated in by those people who are responsible for content, sites, and services every day. It’s thanks to their work that accessibility ceases to be just an additional option but becomes an integral part of government digital services.” 

UNDP is committed to ensuring that the results of Ukraine’s digital transformation are accessible to all, emphasized Olena Ursu, UNDP in Ukraine Democratic Governance Portfolio Team Leader, regarding the training sessions.  

“For the past four years, UNDP, with support from Sweden, has been helping the government promote digital accessibility in the country,” Ursu said. “Through joint, comprehensive efforts – from developing relevant policies, conducting research and training – we aim to ensure that all citizens can use all web resources in the country, regardless of their age, place of residence or if they have a disability. Ensuring inclusion of all people and creating equal opportunities for them will be fundamental for a truly inclusive recovery of the country and ensuring equal rights for all citizens.” 

In 2024, similar training sessions were conducted in Rivne, Dnipro, and Cherkasy. In total, over three years, more than 3,000 representatives of state authorities and local governments have received training in digital accessibility. 

Earlier, in 2022, a new state standard for web accessibility came into effect in Ukraine. Subsequently, the Cabinet of Ministers obliged all state bodies to bring their resources into line with its requirements. In 2023, the WCAG 2.1 international web accessibility guidelines, which form the basis of the state standard, were translated into Ukrainian officially for the first time, which will make it easier for domestic developers to follow global standards. Moreover, the educational series “Web Accessibility”, which was developed for the Diia.Osvita online education platform, is now available to all, free of charge.  

All of these initiatives, including the regional training sessions, were carried out as part of the DIA Support project, which the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine implements with funding from Sweden, in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. 

Media inquiries: 

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Communications Team Leader, yuliia.samus@undp.org