On December 1, the nationwide StartInclusion campaign launched which unites social entrepreneurs, NGOs, private companies, media outlets, bloggers, activists, and opinion leaders in promoting a crucial set of principles: inclusion, accessibility, and universal design. This annual initiative coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed each year on December 3. StartInclusion was initiated by the inclusive social enterprise Everland, which creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities and advances inclusion in society, engaging a community of 2,000 people with various types of disabilities from Russia and other countries.
The Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ has again joined the campaign through its educational project, Explore the Internet & Govern It. In 2022, the project introduced a dedicated accessibility module for blind and visually impaired users. This module was certified with an official accessibility badge for people with disabilities. Developed in collaboration with Everland’s experts, the module adheres to the latest technical standards and is fully compatible with screen readers, which convert on-screen text into synthesized speech.
The section offers training on 15 topics: Computer Fundamentals, Online Communication, World Wide Web Architecture, Personal Data and Privacy Protection, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Internet Culture, Internet Governance, Digital Medicine, The Internet of Things (IoT), and others. The number of topics and tasks is expanded annually. As of the end of November 2025, more than 1,600 people have already used the quizzes in the Accessible Play Module.
“The Coordination Center runs numerous educational projects, and the primary goal of nearly all of them is to create an environment where every user, regardless of their skill level or personal circumstances, can navigate the digital world with confidence,” commented Viktoria Bunchuk, Head of Social Projects at the Coordination Center. “For example, the Accessible Play Module on the Explore the Internet & Govern It platform was designed for young users for whom traditional methods of learning about technology are not an option. This tool allows them to feel fully included in the digital space. They learn about internet architecture and infrastructure, digital services, responsible online behavior, and much more, all in an accessible format. Hundreds of users have discovered through our project that their potential online is truly limitless.”
“But this is far from our only motivation,” she added. “We believe that investing in people and inclusive practices should stem not just from commercial considerations or compliance with standards, but from a genuine desire to improve others’ lives. It is crucial for companies and industry professionals to remember: by making services more accessible and user-friendly for everyone, we demonstrate our humanity and help build a society of equal opportunity.”
According to the Federal Register of People with Disabilities, approximately 11 million individuals are registered, representing about 7.6% of Russia’s total population.
We invite the Coordination Center’s community to visit the StartInclusion website. In addition to details about the initiative and its partners’ inclusive projects, the site features several key resources: the guide Living and Working Without Limitations, which helps people with disabilities navigate self-acceptance, education, career, and family life; recommendations for respectful communication in an inclusive society; an online course on managing inclusive projects; the results of a comprehensive study (2023-2025) on the non-visual accessibility of websites and mobile applications. This study uncovers the specific challenges blind users encounter online and provides organizations with clear insights to improve the accessibility of their digital services for people with visual or motor impairments.
