Olga BEZPALKO
Partner
Has 15 years of experience in managing social projects in the HR field, develops systemic programs.
Expert in inclusive solutions for an equal society, conducts coaching activities in the field of inclusion and employment of veterans.
EXPERIENCE
Since 2012, Olga has been working on the topic of inclusion and equality. This path begins in her hometown of Vinnytsia.
At first, she actively fought for the rights of parents of children with disabilities, thus becoming a member of the Council of the Association of People with Disabilities “Open Hearts”. And later, while holding a government position, she contributed in every way to the opening of the regional center for comprehensive rehabilitation “Obriy”, which is engaged in the recovery and adaptation of children and youth with functional disorders.
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15 years ago, I witnessed a situation that outraged me. Parents of one of the schools in Vinnytsia were collecting signatures against a child with a disability studying in the same class as their children. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. After all, I grew up in a small town where a girl with a fairly severe form of cerebral palsy studied in the same class as everyone else, and I didn’t notice any bullying or indulgences. I couldn’t understand what made the parents of the city school different?!” And thanks to the organization of parents of children with disabilities, I delved into this and other topics. Since then, my life has been focused on promoting the topic of accessibility and respect.
In 2014, she participated in the all-Ukrainian program on the implementation of the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the legislation on education.
She transferred these same principles to business and public life. As a manager in the HR sector of business structures, Olga simultaneously carried out coaching activities, consulting and training various organizations on the implementation of universal design principles in business processes.
But most importantly, the combination of Olga’s two skills, namely coaching experience and understanding of the subject of barrier-freeness, helped her to build an inclusion component into the development of community development strategies. That is why Olga supported such strategies on the basis of the Vinnytsia Center for Advanced Training and Qualification. Community development strategies that included aspects of gender equality, sustainable development and inclusion became attractive to international donors and received additional funding.
For the last 7 years, Olga has dedicated her life to the largest company in the country – JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia”. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she quickly organized a qualified team of barrier-free services, which in less than half a year was able to deploy large-scale activities in various areas of the railway: from infrastructure projects to ticketing.
EXPERTISE
Conducting strategic planning exercises and consultations on developing development strategies for public organizations/territorial communities/enterprises, taking into account aspects of sustainable development and gender equality.
Ukrainian-Canadian project “Regional Governance and Development”, topic “Strategic Planning”, 2011 – 2012. Diploma of a trainer in strategic planning and regional development.
Conducting training on accessibility. British Council in Ukraine, topic: “Inclusive Solutions for an Equal and Responsible Society”, 2014. Trainer Certificate.