---
title: "\"Inclusivity Starts Before the Ramp\": DTEK Presents Its Approach to Creating a Barrier-Free Environment for Veterans and People with Disabilities"
description: "D.SERVICE director Tatyana Shishlova stated at the \"My Barrier-Free\" forum that businesses need to move beyond the physical adaptation of workplaces to eliminating mental barriers. DTEK presented the \"MOZHU\" role-matching tool and shared the experience of its \"ProVeteran\" program."
date: 2026-09-21T14:32:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/dtek-barrier-free-environment-veterans-disability-mozhu
tags: [dtek, inclusion, veterans, disability, workplace, barrier-free, ukraine-business]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "Inclusivity Starts Before the Ramp": DTEK Presents Its Approach to Creating a Barrier-Free Environment for Veterans and People with Disabilities

![DTK speaker presenting the company's approach to creating an accessible environment for veterans and people with disabilities](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/21/dtek-bezbarernaya-sreda-veterany-invalidnost-mozhu/dtek-bezbarernaya-sreda-veterany-invalidnost-mozhu-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Tatyana Shishlova highlighted mental accessibility as the key yet most challenging level of inclusion for businesses at the "My Barrier-Free" forum
- DTEK developed the "MOZHU" tool, which matches a person's functional capabilities with the conditions of the workplace
- The company is implementing the "ProVeteran" program and in 2024 received the "Responsible Country" award in the "Veteran Support" nomination
- DTEK shares its accumulated experience in inclusive hiring with the business community through open panel discussions

At the third "My Barrier-Free. Lessons Learned" forum, D.SERVICE director Tatyana Shishlova delivered a speech outlining the key principles of building an inclusive work environment for businesses. According to her, adapting workplaces for veterans and people with disabilities is only the first, most visible stage. A far more challenging task at the current stage is designing an environment free from mental barriers that force a person to explain, every single time, why they need special conditions. The speech was delivered as part of a panel discussion dedicated to companies' practical experience in the field of inclusion and was broadcast by RBC-Ukraine.

### Mental Accessibility as the Next Level for Business

Shishlova emphasized that a physically accessible space does not yet guarantee comfort for a person with a disability or a veteran. "The next level for business is significantly more complex: how to make the environment mentally accessible, so that it does not traumatize a person and does not force them to explain every time why they need different conditions?" she noted. In her assessment, it is precisely the mental barrier — an invisible wall of stereotypes, misunderstanding, and the unpreparedness of colleagues and managers — that remains the main obstacle to the full integration of vulnerable groups into working life. Inclusivity, according to the speaker, begins "well before the ramp or the adapted workplace" — at the moment when an organization acknowledges that its own experience is not universal.

### The "MOZHU" Tool: Matching Roles to Functional Capabilities

During the discussion, Shishlova talked about a practical tool that DTEK developed for the employment of veterans and people with disabilities. The "MOZHU" role-matching system allows for comparing a specific person's functional capabilities with the actual conditions of the workplace, while also taking into account their professional experience and skills. In this way, the company moves from a "fitting the person to the vacancy" model to a "matching the vacancy to the person's capabilities" model, which reduces the risk of burnout and increases the effectiveness of both the employee and the team. According to Shishlova, DTEK is already applying this approach in its subsidiaries and actively shares its accumulated experience with the business community.

### The Comprehensive "ProVeteran" Program and Industry Recognition

DTEK of Rinat Akhmetov is implementing a multi-level veteran support program, "ProVeteran," which covers psychological and medical assistance, workplace adaptation, training, retraining, and post-return-to-work support. In 2024, the company won the "Veteran Support" nomination at the "Responsible Country" social projects competition and was also recognized as the company with the best veteran support program. These results confirm that a systematic approach — from the initial contact with a veteran to long-term support in the workplace — delivers a measurable effect and sets a standard for the industry.

### From Private Experience to Industry Practice

The speech at the "My Barrier-Free" forum was a continuation of DTEK's public activity in the field of inclusion. The company does not limit itself to internal initiatives but disseminates its developments through open discussions, enabling other employers to adapt proven solutions to their own conditions. As Shishlova summarized, inclusivity is not a one-off campaign to install a ramp, but a cultural shift that begins with an organization's willingness to reconsider its own notions of normality and universality in the work process.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [DTEK Shares Its Experience in Creating Working Conditions for Veterans and People with Disabilities](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/dtek-podilivsya-dosvidom-stvorennya-umov-1790000445.html) - Основной источник: цитаты Т. Шишловой, описание инструмента «МОЖУ», упоминание форума и программы «ПроВетеран».
- ["Not Just Adapting Workplaces": DTEK Talks About Creating Conditions for Working ...](https://www.obozrevatel.com/novosti-obschestvo/ne-tolko-adaptirovat-rabochie-mesta-v-dtek-rasskazali-o-sozdanii-uslovij-dlya-rabotyi-veteranov-i-lyudej-s-invalidnostyu.htm) - Подтверждает ключевые тезисы и цитаты из выступления на форуме; фактура совпадает с rbc.ua.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the "MOZHU" tool and how does it work?
**A:** "MOZHU" is a role-matching system developed by DTEK. It compares a specific person's functional capabilities with the actual conditions of the workplace, taking into account their experience and professional skills, in order to select the optimal position.

### Q: Which forum served as the platform for Tatyana Shishlova's speech?
**A:** The third session of the "My Barrier-Free. Lessons Learned" forum, within a panel discussion on the practical experience of inclusive hiring.

### Q: What awards did DTEK receive for its veteran support program?
**A:** In 2024, DTEK won the "Veteran Support" nomination at the "Responsible Country" social projects competition and was recognized as the company with the best veteran support program.

### Q: According to Shishlova, what is the main barrier to inclusion in business?
**A:** The main barrier is the mental inaccessibility of the environment: the unpreparedness of colleagues and managers, stereotypes, and the need for a person with a disability or a veteran to explain every time why they need special conditions.