As part of a joint, interdisciplinary project of the Wrocław Technology Park and the Wrocław Without Barriers Office, carried out in cooperation with over 30 non-governmental organisations, public institutions, companies and universities, the WPT will create a unique space dedicated to the development of professional activity of people with disabilities.

Wrocław is committed to making the city accessible to everyone without barriers. This is not only about architecture or public transport, but also about projects and undertakings allowing personal and professional development. An initiative that will allow this idea to be implemented in the context of entrepreneurship is the creation of a space in the Wrocław Technology Park that will eliminate barriers to the development of professional activity of people with disabilities – the Entrepreneurship Integration Incubator. On 8 September 2020, after signing the letters of intent, we begin the next, implementation stage of work on its creation.

Space and comprehensive barrier-free support

The Entrepreneurship Integration Incubator will support both people with disabilities in taking up employment and setting up their own businesses, as well as existing entrepreneurs in creating jobs for people with disabilities.

We have joined forces with the Wrocław Without Barriers Office in order to create an interdisciplinary background for business involving people with disabilities. As part of our project, we will provide space for business, which is 100% adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. But that is not all. In the WPT we support business in a comprehensive way and this will also be the case here! We will create a centre for comprehensive support and information – in one place it will be possible to obtain know-how and expert support in terms of taking up a job or setting up a company by people with disabilities and employing themcomments Maciej Potocki, President of the Wrocław Technology Park.

One of the most important objectives of the project is to show that disability is not a barrier either to employment or to taking up employment or self-employment, and that cooperation and mutual openness can bring specific benefits to the market. One way to do this is to promote the history of companies and people who have already achieved success.

The number of such examples is constantly growing, but we can still do more. The creation of a place where we will be able to truly remove barriers to the development of professional activity of people with disabilities is an extremely important project, a challenge that we are setting for ourselves together with the WPT and its partners. I believe that our activities concerning the professional zone of people with disabilities can activate this part of our social life – comments Bartłomiej Skrzyński, director of the Wrocław Without Barriers Office.

Joint potential

Various types of workshops and trainings will be organised within the Incubator. The Incubator will also provide an opportunity to establish new contacts and use the help of professional advisors, work coaches or psychologists. The project will combine the potential, experience and know-how of over 30 non-governmental organisations, public institutions and companies.

The Regional Support Centre for Non-Governmental Initiatives is involved in the project to create an Integrative Entrepreneurship Incubator, because we want to create good quality jobs for people with disabilities, both in business and in social economy entities. This undertaking will enable the cooperation of entities from different sectors, which will allow for optimal actions for both employers and people with disabilities – comments Mirosława Hamera from the Regional Support Centre for Non-Governmental Initiatives.

Its interdisciplinary activity will be possible thanks to the fact that the project partners operate in different areas.

We are open to all projects that focus on social and professional activation of people with disabilities, so we are happy to join the initiative of the WPT and the Wrocław Without Barriers Office. We hope that by using our experience, resulting from the fact that we serve about 30 thousand people with disabilities every year, we will be able to bring a valuable contribution to the project and, together with its other partners, contribute to increasing the number of people with disabilities active on the market – adds Andrzej Mańkowski, Deputy Director for People with Disabilities and Benefits of the Municipal Social Assistance Centre in Wrocław.

A barrier-free business space will be created on the WPT campus, in the building at Fabryczna Street. The opening of the Integrated Business Incubator is planned for the first quarter of 2021.

Entities involved:

  • Biuro Wrocław Bez Barier,
  • Biuro Rozwoju Gospodarczego,
  • Biuro Współpracy z Uczelniami Wyższymi,
  • Biuro Zintegrowanych Inwestycji Terytorialnych we Wrocławiu,
  • Europejska Fundacja Aktywizacji Społecznej EFAS – Projekt asperIT,
  • Fundacja „Eudajmonia”,
  • Fundacja „Imago”,
  • Fundacja „Potrafię Pomóc”,
  • Fundacja „Promyk Słońca”,
  • Stowarzyszenie „Twoje Nowe Możliwości”,
  • Fundacja Ewangelickie Centrum Diakonii i Edukacji im. Ks. Marcina Lutra, TV Przystań,
  • Miejski Ośrodek Pomocy Społecznej,
  • Międzynarodowa Wyższa Szkoła Logistyki i Transportu,
  • Państwowy Fundusz Rehabilitacji Osób Niepełnosprawnych,
  • Polskie Towarzystwo Stwardnienia Rozsianego,
  • Politechnika Wrocławska,
  • Powiatowy Urząd Pracy,
  • Regionalne Centrum Wspierania Inicjatyw Pozarządowych,
  • Solid Solutions Sp. z o.o.,
  • Stowarzyszenie „Ostoja” na Rzecz Osób z Niepełnosprawnościami,
  • Stowarzyszenie Twórców i Zwolenników Psychostymulacji – Cafe Równik,
  • SWPS Uniwersytet Humanistycznospołeczny filia we Wrocławiu,
  • Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy we Wrocławiu.,
  • Womak Holding S.A.,
  • Wrocławski Zakład Aktywności Zawodowej,
  • Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych
  • Akademia Wojsk Lądowych we Wrocławiu,
  • Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa we Wrocławiu,
  • Organizacja Społeczna ORION,
  • Fundacja „Niepełnosprawni Stabłowice i Przyjaciele”,
  • Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wrocławiu.