Aliaksandr Audzevich: Building a culture of understanding

Aliaksandr’s volunteer assignment was also part of a project supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). During his assignment, he supported the development of workplaces for persons with disabilities, educating employers on how to create accessible and inclusive working environments. 

Although Belarus signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2015, the creation of an inclusive community has been a slow process. 

By 2019, only 20 per cent of persons with disabilities in Belarus, who were of working age were employed. Many of them faced significant barriers to employment, including discrimination. 

“Barriers to inclusion in the workplace take both physical and cultural forms. Through my assignment, I helped educate workplaces on how to make the physical work environment more accessible for persons with disabilities. I also worked to build a culture of understanding and dispel myths. Inclusion is our future!” says Aliaksandr.

As part of his assignment, he assisted employers in understanding what facilities may be necessary when hiring persons with disabilities. He spoke to them about the need for accessible toilets, resizable desks and ramps. 

Physical accessibility in a work environment is incredibly important and that is the message Aliaksandr proactively disseminated all around him. He came across many people who had never interacted with a person with a disability and therefore they did not necessarily understand what it meant to have a disability.

To widen people’s perspectives, Aliaksandr conducted workshops and held discussions to help reinforce the message of inclusion in the workplace. 

Following his volunteer assignment, Aliaksandr embarked on a tour by hand bike from Georgia to the Canary Islands to raise awareness on the needs of persons with disabilities. He has since then opened a café, called “Inclusive Barista”, that offers a barista training programme for persons with visible and invisible disabilities. Through this project, Aliaksandr aims to change the way coffee shops hire personnel and design café spaces.