DTEK Energy has adapted and equipped the surface area of one of the company's underground mines in Dnipro region to employ veterans with disabilities for the first time in Ukraine.
The pilot project is part of the company's programme to support veterans of the russian-Ukrainian war, as more than 4.6 thousand employees joined the Armed Forces to defend Ukraine
Creating conditions for the comfortable work of veterans with disabilities will allow them to reach their professional aspirations and earn money on an equal footing with others. The initiative is primarily aimed at supporting those who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine but were forced to return to civilian life due to injuries and traumas. So far, 315 veterans have returned to the company's enterprises, including those who have been disabled by the war.
"There are more and more veterans or people with disabilities due to military operations, and they will make up a significant part of the labour market. We must be prepared for this and create decent and inclusive working conditions for them. We are moving towards being among the first large industrial companies in Ukraine to systematically create an inclusive environment for veterans with disabilities, facilitate their employment and professional self-realisation," commented DTEK Energy CEO Oleksandr Fomenko.
"During the pilot project, we did everything possible to make the workspace accessible and, most importantly, safe for employment of veterans with disabilities with the maximum number of injuries possible under these conditions. However, due to production and safety restrictions on working conditions, as well as the peculiarities of buildings and structures that were built almost half a century ago, when an inclusive environment was not in question, it is not always a matter of creating inclusive conditions from scratch, but also of adapting existing ones. Because of this, the company will not yet be able to offer jobs for all categories of veterans with disabilities. For example, for people in wheelchairs.
Following the pilot project, physical space audits were carried out at 9 more of the 24 enterprises planned for this year. Detailed recommendations for appropriate adaptations and improvements were drawn up. To this end, the company engaged a reputable external accessibility consultant to provide training for the company's specialists who are directly involved in the implementation of this initiative on the ground.
The company is also actively working to complete the creation of a universal tool - a catalogue of jobs for veterans with disabilities - to be used at the company's enterprises.
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The pilot project was preceded by two key stages. At the first stage, all jobs were analysed at one of the underground mine offices and those that could be offered to veterans with disabilities were identified. Based on the analysis, a prototype catalogue for their employment was created. It allows us to offer them jobs and professions tailored to their physical abilities.
At the second stage, in 2024, the physical space of two mine enterprises and workplaces was audited for accessibility to determine whether a person can not only work at their workplace but also be able to get to it and use everything they need: canteens, toilets, showers, and administrative buildings. External experts specialising in creating accessible spaces were involved in the audit.
At the final stage, based on the recommendations received from the experts, handrails were installed in the designated areas, toilets and showers were adapted, convenient signs were installed, contrasting tapes were placed in areas where increased attention was required, along with other improvements.