An educational session was held at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute as part of the “Single Space” project, which is being implemented by the charity organization “We Will See Victory.”
Vladislav “Samurai” Yeshchenko, a veteran sapper who lost his sight and almost all of his hearing, and a public figure, shared his experiences of life after the war and important rules for communicating with people with disabilities.
In his speech, he emphasized an acute problem — the lack of proper understanding in society of how to interact correctly and respectfully with people returning from war with physical or psychological injuries.
Vladislav shared simple but extremely important tips for ethical communication with people who have lost their sight. For example:
📌 Help should be offered, but not imposed. Many people with disabilities strive for independence and have the necessary skills to achieve it.
📌 Address the person directly, not their companion.
📌 Avoid outdated and offensive terms: instead of “disabled,” say “person with a disability”; instead of “blind,” say “visually impaired.”
📌 It is important to introduce yourself if a person has difficulty orienting themselves and to let them know if you are leaving or changing locations.
📌 Never touch a person or their assistive devices without permission.
The event was another step towards developing a barrier-free and sensitive environment at the university, especially for veterans.
The meeting was organized by the Igor Sikorsky KPI Veteran Development Center.
Watch the video broadcast of the meeting: