On June 6, the photo exhibition “Time to step into the light” was opened in the village of Pidvolochysk, Ternopil Oblast. This is the sixth community where the exposition from the public union “The League of the Strong” is presented as part of the information campaign of the same name. This was reported by Svitlana Demchuk, regional coordinator of “The League of the Strong” public union.
“The exhibition introduces us to the stories of its heroes: how they made their step to come out into the light. And the information campaign as a whole has become a powerful incentive for people with disabilities to express themselves and become visible,” said Svitlana Demchuk, regional coordinator of the League of the Strong public union.
The opening of the exhibition was attended by Vitaliy Datsko, head of Pidvolochysk village council, and social workers of the village council.
The heroes of the “Time to step into the light” information campaign are 10 people with disabilities. These are residents of three regions of Ukraine – Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Cherkasy. Personal photo shoots were organized for them. The photographer based the composition of the photos on the play of light and shadows. The main idea of the exhibition is to motivate people with disabilities and their relatives to accept themselves, overcome internal barriers and speak up for their needs and rights.
Video stories were also filmed about each character. They are posted on the YouTube channel of the League of the Strong.
The exhibition “Time to step into the light” in Pidvolochysk is held in partnership with Ukrzaliznytsia. The exhibition will be open to the public until the end of June. The Time to Come Out campaign has been running for 4 months. Previously, such photo exhibitions were held at the railway stations of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Cherkasy, Smila and Chortkiv.
In August 2023, the League of the Strong conducted the first national sociological survey on the perception of people with disabilities in Ukraine. The survey showed that 50% of Ukrainians rarely or almost never see people with disabilities in public places.
Based on the results of this study, the League of the Strong launched the information campaign “Time to step into the light”. The campaign aims to help people with disabilities accept themselves and motivate others, overcome internal barriers, and speak up for their needs and rights.
“Time to step into the light” information campaign is part of the Empower Ukraine project, which is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), CBM, and the European Forum of People with Disabilities. The project aims to improve living conditions for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in Ternopil, Cherkasy, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.
The views expressed during the campaign are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the financial partners.