On March 2, Ukraine’s first national language standard, “Terminology of Accessibility,” was unveiled. Vladimir Vysotsky, a representative of “The League of the Strong” public association and an expert on accessibility and inclusive practices, joined the expert working group that developed the standard.
The creation of the Standard is a continuation of First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska’s “Without Barriers” initiative. This document is the result of several months of work by an expert group formed under the auspices of the National Commission on State Language Standards. The presentation of the Standard brought together government officials, international experts, educators, and representatives of the civil society sector.
The document presented standardizes non-discriminatory terminology and identifies a list of words that should be phased out of official use. The approved guidelines cover more than 100 terms. They pertain to the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities, veterans, parents with children, and other groups facing prejudice.
The approved terminology will be mandatory for official documentation, legal and academic literature, as well as in the fields of education and public administration. The standard is also recommended for use in the media and public communications.
The document is now available on the official website of the National Commission on State Language Standards: https://mova.gov.ua/news/bezbariernist-tse-filosofiia-suspilstva
“Some people say ‘unemployed’ or ‘homeless,’ and that label sounds like a fait accompli. But if we say ‘a person without a home’ or ‘a person without a job,’ it becomes clear that we’re talking about circumstances that can and should change. Language is part of the dignity of both parties: both the speaker and the person being spoken about. That’s why it’s time to move away from the seemingly familiar term ‘sign language interpreter,’ because in reality it’s a ‘sign language translator’ — with a focus on and respect for the language and those who use it,” First Lady Olena Zelenska noted in the event’s official press release.
Volodymyr Vysotskyi, an expert on accessibility and inclusive practices at “The League of the Strong” public association, participated in the working group tasked with developing the state language standard “Terminology of Accessibility.” Together with his colleagues, he worked on definitions, particularly those related to accessibility, participated in discussions, and provided suggestions to align the terminology with best international practices.
“The very idea of creating such a standard is very sound, since until now Ukraine lacked a comprehensive official document regulating the use of correct terminology. Now, in addition to the numerous recommendations from central executive authorities regarding proper communication, there is the option to refer to this standard. For a long time, to justify the need for proper vocabulary, we mostly appealed to moral and ethical norms, and even common sense. Now there is another strong, formal argument in favor of a people-centered approach to language. At the same time, the document should not be considered perfect — civil society representatives and experts may have certain comments regarding specific terms, but constructive discussion on this topic is a good thing,” shared Volodymyr Vysotskyi.
He noted that changes may be made to the standard over time — it may be expanded, clarified, or revised. The second edition has now been adopted. The third and final edition is expected to be approved, so the document is still being finalized.
“The very fact that we are establishing such a standard for the official language indicates that accessibility issues are inevitably taking on strategic importance across various spheres of public policy, and the role of its lexical and linguistic dimensions should not be underestimated. The way we speak determines our attitudes, shapes the attitudes of those around us, and ultimately influences the decisions we all make. A shift in the perception of human diversity begins with overcoming stereotypes and prejudices,” says Volodymyr Vysotsky.
The fact that representatives of civil society were involved in the development of the Standard alongside linguists and government officials sets a positive precedent for a participatory approach to drafting documents of national importance in the field of accessibility.
“For ‘The League of the Strong,’ this is also a good example of engagement in this national advocacy effort for the rights of people with disabilities, particularly regarding the use of appropriate terminology — something we constantly emphasize, regularly teach to local government officials, and consistently advocate for,” added Volodymyr Vysotskyi.
Tetyana Lomakina, the President of Ukraine’s Special Representative for Accessibility, emphasized that the standard provides gender-neutral terminology for the daily practice of accessibility. This will make public services, events, and interactions with the government more accessible to every citizen.
“The standard is based on the human rights principle of ‘people first.’ When we remove stigmatizing phrases from our language, we restore people’s agency. After all, respect for the individual is reflected in respectful communication,” added the President’s Commissioner.
“Our next goal is to integrate this standard into the government’s daily operations so that the correct terms are used ‘by default,’” emphasized Tetyana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine.
“The State Language Standard ‘Accessibility Terminology’ is a normative document developed through the collaboration of accessibility experts, legal professionals, and linguists, which standardizes and systematizes terms and their definitions in the field of accessibility, and expands the scope of use of Ukrainian terminology on accessibility issues,” noted Yulia Chernobrov, Chair of the National Commission on State Language Standards.