Kyiv, 21 December 2022 – Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska and Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov have presented the new Diia.Barrier-free section on the Diia state services portal. It has been designed to simplify citizens’ interactions with the state for everyone who needs help at important moments in life.

During the presentation of the section, First Lady Olena Zelenska noted: “It's important to realise that older people and young people use the Internet and state services differently. Older people are more likely to be interested in public services, but have difficulties using digital portals. The opposite is true for young people: young people understand how Diia and other services work, but sometimes they don't even think to seek help from the state during important times in their lives (for example, choosing a first job, or vaccinating a child). So, the main goal of the Diia.Barrier-free section is to add a more human touch and humanity in communication with the state.”

“War raises new questions every day. But the issues from before still remain. Unanswered questions are a barrier, an obstacle to our aspirations. So the task of the country is to remove these barriers, and not even war will stand in our way,” she said.

The main goal of the Diia.Barrier-free section is to add a more human touch to communications with the state. Some materials in it are devoted to issues that do not usually have a place on state portals. For example, the personal experience of people who changed their profession after the age of 60, or difficulties with employment due to a lack of work experience. In general, the content of the new section is divided into three formats: guides – answers to questions, instructions – help with specific questions, and personal experiences – stories of people.

Importantly, the section is barrier-free, as it is designed to be accessible to people with visual impairments.

Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said that the Ministry of Digital Transformation is working to make Ukraine the most convenient country in the world. “Today, Ukrainians already actively use government services online,” he said.

“More than 18 million Ukrainians use the Diia application, another 21.7 million receive government services on the Diia portal. But our goal is not only to develop online services, but also to ensure equal access to technology. The launch of the Diia.Barrier-free portal is an important step in this direction.”

Jaco Cilliers, acting UNDP Ukraine Resident Representative, commended the systematic work of the Ukrainian Government on the digitalization of public services that are freely, quickly and conveniently accessible to all citizens. “UNDP, in a strategic partnership with Sweden, consistently supports government partners in the development of new electronic services that are easier for citizens to access,” Cilliers said, adding that the launch of a new online section, with all sorts of useful information on public services for different life situations, “is an important addition to this work, as it will offer people clear instructions on what to do and what services they may need.”

The project was created in cooperation with its key audiences: people over 50 years old, young parents, people with disabilities, etc.

The Diia.Barrier-free section was created as part of an initiative by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska called “Without barriers”, together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine and Sweden. The NGO “Barrierfree” provided analytical support.

Background

The section was developed in the framework of the Digital, Inclusive, Accessible: Support to Digitalisation of Public Services in Ukraine Project (DIA Support Project), which is being implemented by UNDP in Ukraine with funding from Sweden. The project was launched in 2021 and aims to bridge the digital divide between generations and various social groups. Its main goal is to increase the accessibility of new digital solutions, so that everyone in Ukraine can use electronic services, and no one is left behind.

Media inquiries

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