08 November 2026
(PHOTO: AI/Intent)
Deaf people in Odesa have to find sign language interpreters on their own and pay for their services in order to receive medical, banking, or administrative assistance. In addition, they face discrimination at work and a lack of accessible information.
Alona Sinyavska, the director of the nonprofit organization “Surdoshkola,” a sign language interpreter, and an early intervention specialist, spoke about this in an interview with Intent.
According to her, there are only two officially registered sign language interpreters in Odesa. Because of this, people often have to find specialists on their own. The cost of interpretation also increases the price of standard services. For example, while a hearing person pays 300 hryvnias for an ultrasound, a deaf person has to pay extra for an interpreter.
There are cases where staff at medical facilities refuse to provide services without an interpreter instead of trying to find a way to communicate. At work, according to Sinyavska, some employers take advantage of the kindness of deaf employees, assigning them extra tasks and hours, and sometimes paying them less.
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Communication within families poses a separate challenge. If parents can hear but do not learn sign language, it can be difficult for them to communicate fully with a Deaf child. At the same time, sign language does not hinder the development of spoken language; rather, it helps the child express their needs and thoughts.
Sinyavska emphasizes that Ukrainian Sign Language is a distinct language and differs from the sign languages of other countries. It has its own grammar and vocabulary.
Not all information—particularly announcements about the war and air raid alerts—is accessible to the deaf. The expert believes that visual alerts are insufficient and that important announcements should be more widely translated into sign language.
Among possible solutions, she mentions online translation via QR codes—as is already in use at some Administrative Service Centers—as well as collaboration between institutions and interpreters. According to Sinyavska, there is also high demand for sign language classes in Odesa: during the most recent enrollment period, 86 people signed up for half-day courses.
Андрій Колісніченко