Inclusivity Forum 2024

On November 28, the Solidarity Center and Labor Initiatives teams participated in the 6th Inclusivity Forum organized by the partner organization the disability advocacy group Dostupno.UA.

This forum is an annual initiative of the Dostupno.UA NGO to increase awareness, promote inclusion, and share experiences on inclusive practices in various sectors, such as business, architectural accessibility, reasonable workplace adjustments, etc.  These efforts have taken on even more urgency in the context of the large number of people with disabilities due to the war, especially among veterans.

The Forum, co-sponsored by the Solidarity Center, focused on addressing issues like veterans` reintegration, fostering respectful workplace interactions, and creating inclusive environments both for workers and customers of different enterprises (retail stores, railway).

Special attention was given to providing decent conditions for conscripted/demobilized workers and the challenges and biases employers/companies have before making their spaces available for people with disabilities (PWDs). Among them – a formal approach to the PWDs` issues (making adjustments to tick the box), forgetting the simple truth – money spent on reasonable adjustments is not cost but an investment in providing services to more clients and engaging more workers with valuable expertise.