Committed to the development of a barrier-free and inclusive society, Volodymyr is engaged in various community-based and government-managed efforts to promote equal rights, sustainable urban development, and accessibility of social infrastructure.

As Director of the Charitable fund ‘Jewish-Ukrainian Social Initiative’, he is managing projects dedicated to reducing vulnerability and building grassroots’ capacities that enable efficient social integration of people with disabilities, elderly, and internally displaced persons in Ukraine. In 2021 he was a leading member of the expert group in charge of drawing up the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine, particularly regarding physical accessibility. Volodymyr is the co-founder of a universal design studio ‘ORFO’ that provides consulting and design services in the field of inclusive spatial development and barrier-free urban planning. He has been involved in the design and implementation of many interdisciplinary projects that combine social issues, participatory approaches and urban infrastructure development with a focus on disadvantaged groups and human rights.

Volodymyr holds a Master’s degree in International Law from the Ukrainian State University of Finance and International Trade. He is a board member of several Ukrainian civil society organizations. As an expert in accessibility, he is involved in the work of many national non-governmental organizations and cooperates with a number of Ukrainian government bodies, including the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

“I’ve been engaged in inclusive cultural projects since 2017, and this field is an integral part of our team’s efforts to support the sustainable development of inclusive communities. Promoting cultural inclusion and inclusive artistic practices is essential to empowering people with psycho-social and other disabilities and fully engaging them into the broader cultural life. I am honoured to be selected for the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship, and I am confident that my project will be instrumental to raising public awareness about the extraordinary creative accomplishments of Ukrainian inclusive art groups, which is especially meaningful in these turbulent times of Ukraine’s fight for freedom and independence”. – Volodymyr VYSOTSKYI