On May 16, a photo exhibition “Time to step into the lightt” was launched at the railway station in Chortkiv, Ternopil Oblast. The station features photographs that tell the stories of 10 people with disabilities. This is the fifth city where “The League of the Strong” public union has organized such an exhibition as part of the Time to Come Out information campaign. This was reported by Maria Orynchak, communications manager of the League of the Strong public union.
“50% of Ukrainians rarely or almost never see people with disabilities. This is largely due to physical barriers. However, another big layer of problems is our perception of disability. Changing it is one of the tasks of this information campaign. At the stands, you can see information not about the difficulties associated with disability. It is about people’s hobbies, dreams, and goals. We encourage people with disabilities to be visible, to notice their strengths, to talk about their needs. It is important for those around them – parents, friends, teachers – to understand this as well,” said Maria Orynchak, communications manager of the League of the Strong public union.
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. The heroes of the campaign took part in personal photo shoots. 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.
Local educators came to the opening of the photo exhibition. Representatives of the public union “The League of the Strong” invited them to come here with their students.
The exhibition “Time to step into the light” in Chortkiv is held in partnership with Ukrzaliznytsia. It is open to everyone until the end of May. We remind you that the Time to See the Light information campaign has been running for 4 months. Previously, such photo exhibitions have been held at the railway stations of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Cherkasy and Smila.
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 Come Out 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.