Towards Digital Accessibility in Ukraine

In the current digital age, web accessibility is more than just a trendy term; it is a crucial element in establishing a welcoming online space for all.

Given that many government services have been digitized in Ukraine in recent years, it is crucial to ensure that all platforms (websites, mobile applications, service terminals, etc.) are accessible to individuals with disabilities.?

By ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on September 24, 2008, Ukraine committed to creating suitable conditions to uphold the rights and a high standard of living for all socially vulnerable groups in the population.?

Based on research on digital accessibility in Ukraine, the study authors recommend adopting the harmonized standard EN 301 549 in the country. All websites and mobile applications developed by authorities must adhere to this standard. Implementing this recommendation will require legislative enhancements, the creation of technical guidelines, and training for individuals responsible for digital accessibility.

Referring to the European accessibility act, one of the upcoming accessibility requirements is the following: as of June 28, 2025, companies must ensure that newly marketed products and services covered by the Act are accessible. Customers will be able to file complaints with national courts or authorities if services or products do not comply with the new rules.

More details and business-specific requirements can be checked in the Directive.

Let’s have an overview of the accessibility statistics in Ukraine:

• The UNDP in Ukraine reports that in 2021, there were more than 2,7 million registered people with disabilities;
• Additionally, the source states that? “83% of respondents believe that accessibility is a new value for society” and “Ukraine continues to pursue a consistent course of creating a barrier-free environment for all citizens”;
• the UNDP in Ukraine also states that ‘in 2023, 22% of the government websites analyzed were found to be sufficiently and highly accessible. Compared to 2021, this was a rise of 9%’.

Currently, there is a DIA (Digital, Inclusive, Accessible) support project in Ukraine, whose goal is to narrow the digital gap between different age groups and social classes, guaranteeing that all individuals in the country can utilize modern digital technologies and online services.

It is also worth mentioning that this project has completed the first official Ukrainian translation of the World Wide Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1), ensuring full accessibility for Ukrainian developers.

Regarding the perspective of Ukraine, the source states, that ‘Ukraine should be an example of barrier-free accessibility’, by incorporating best practices from international experiences. This is necessary as the number of people with disabilities is expected to increase following the war in Ukraine.?

Since the decree on digital accessibility in Ukraine has been signed, hopefully, more and more resources will become accessible. ?Currently, there are several examples of Ukrainian partially accessible websites (containing modification of text size & color, space between letters, cursor scaling, links underline and line for reading, tab navigation, etc.) we can share:

• https://savelife.in.ua/en/,(read Accessibility statement)?
• https://osvita.diia.gov.ua/en?
• https://www.kmu.gov.ua/
• https://dmsu.gov.ua/en-home.html?
• https://mfa.gov.ua/?
• https://dpsu.gov.ua/?
• https://bank.gov.ua/en/?

For those who are not familiar with the topic of Digital Accessibility or are Project Managers seeking to understand if your project falls under digital accessibility and what steps should be taken, follow us, and we will post more about "Digital Accessibility: An Exciting Transition and a New Challenging Journey for Project Managers and development teams" soon.

If you want to reuse this content, please contact author [email protected]?