The first Wikipedia editing course for neurodivergent people in Ukraine successfully concluded at the end of 2024. It was implemented by Wikimedia Ukraine in partnership with the organization “MH4U – Mental Health for Ukraine.” Let’s look at why we conducted this course, the results we achieved, and what comes next.
🧠 Who are neurodivergent people?
These are individuals whose way of thinking and processing information differs from the generally accepted norm. This includes people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety disorders, and other unique neuroprocesses. They may have unique approaches to processing information, learning, and interacting with the world. Most educational programs do not account for such differences, which is why we developed a course adapted to various information perception styles to make learning comfortable and accessible.
“The idea that Wikipedia can be a great hobby platform for neurodivergent people is not new. Wikipedia and its sister wikiprojects offer tasks for both editors with scattered attention and those with focused attention; they support both in-depth work on a single topic and minor edits here and there; here, one can either collaborate with others or avoid interaction altogether, and it’s always possible to take a break without explaining it. It’s said that the proportion of people on the autism spectrum among Wikipedia editors is higher than the average in the general population. Mostly, those who work on Wikipedia discovered it on their own. Not all of this experience has been equally positive. But if we can guide new people who might benefit from it, why not do it🙂,” comments the course trainer (and 2024 Functionary of the Year), Vira Motorko.
📚 What was covered in the course?
Participants learned how Wikipedia works, how to create and edit articles, and how to interact with the Wikipedia community.
💡 The course format included:
✅ Five webinars explaining the basics of editing
✅ Practical homework assignments
✅ Individual feedback from the course trainer
The course was led by Vira Motorko, a volunteer and Wikipedia editor with 15 years of experience.
👥 How did the course go?
38 participants registered for the course, though not all reached the finish line. However, 5 people successfully completed all tasks and received certificates. This is a great result, as for many, editing Wikipedia became a new skill that allows them to expand their knowledge and make the world more open to diversity! 🎓👏
“I think this was a good test run: 5 webinars, 3 homework assignments, answering questions in the chat. I’m grateful to everyone who showed interest and joined. The hardest part for me was sticking to the time limits because I tried my best to keep the webinars short, but I love talking about Wikipedia so much, and there’s so much to say 😇,” comments Vira.
🌍 This course is one of the first in the world!
The idea of a specialized course for neurodivergent people is not entirely new, but so far, it has only been implemented in a few countries. Such a course was held in Israel, and its implementation is ongoing in South Korea. Ukraine is one of the first countries to adapt this approach for its Wikipedia community. We learned about this opportunity during Wikimania 2024, the largest international gathering of Wikipedia volunteers. Inspired by the experience of others, we decided to create our own course and expand opportunities for neurodivergent people in Ukraine to participate in Wikipedia.
A course participant, Polina Abrazhevych, comments:
“I’ve long dreamed of writing and editing articles on Wikipedia but constantly faced technical difficulties and the fear of doing something wrong. Thanks to the course, I figured out the basic principles of how it works and gained the confidence I needed. I especially want to thank you for the inclusive format—despite my ADHD, I was able to complete all the tasks.”
📌 Why is this important?
Editing Wikipedia is not only an opportunity to develop writing and information search skills but also a way to influence the accessibility of knowledge worldwide. We want more people, regardless of their differences, to join the Wikipedia community!
Course results (in Ukrainian) https://blog.wikimedia.org.ua/2025/03/02/neurodivergent-people-and-wiki-results/
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