This study was designed to analyse the needs of people with disabilities (primarily the visually impaired) who use assistive technologies, with the goal of developing the sphere of digital accessibility in Ukraine even more comprehensively and effectively. 

For the analysis, an online survey was conducted among people with disabilities in order to explore their needs for assistive digital technologies, along with in-depth interviews with experts in the field of digital accessibility. In addition, a comparative assessment of the available assistive technologies, in particular text-to-speech technologies that support the Ukrainian language, was conducted. These assistive technologies directly affect the ability of blind users to obtain digital services in Ukrainian. The experts were also asked about the possibility of using artificial intelligence to improve assistive technologies. 

On the results of the analysis, recommendations were drawn up regarding directions for the development of auxiliary digital technologies in Ukraine, and on the potential development of state targeted programmes to support people with visual impairments. 

The author of the study is the digital accessibility expert of the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine (UNDP) Dmytro Popov – a web accessibility expert, trainer, and author of online educational courses on web accessibility.  

The research was carried out by UNDP in Ukraine in cooperation with the National Assembly of People with Disabilities, with the support of the Government of Japan, and as part of the “Digital, Inclusive, Accessible: Support to Digitalisation of Public Services in Ukraine” (DIA Support) project. The project is being implemented by UNDP in Ukraine in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, with funding from Sweden.