Sedlácek Vojtech
Organization: Agentura ProVás
Year Founded: 1996
Country: Czech Republic
Website: www.agenturaprovas.cz
Geographic Area of Impact: Czech Republic.
Model: Social Business
Focus: Disabilities,Enterprise Development,Labor Conditions and Unemployment.
Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Czech Republic, 2007 The Innovation Vojtech has created a venture that incubates projects and businesses that employ disabled individuals. Furthermore, it focuses on employing a percentage of these disabled positions in highly public areas like the Senate cloakroom or at the Astrological Clock to make the public and policy makers aware of the need to address such issues. Background In the Communist Era, the disabled were viewed as imperfect and often kept out of sight of the public. Unfortunately, this stigma and attitude has lingered even in the post- Communist era as the public and policy makers choose to sweep such issues under the rug. Furthermore, the desire to subsidize the disabled and hide them in institutions has created an unhealthy dependency in the disabled community. Strategy Vojtech has created businesses that employ the disabled in a completely profitable manner. Not wanting to be dependent on government grants or government contracts that require compromises in integrity, Sedlacek ensures all ProVas businesses are self-sustainable and profitable. For example, with a loan and financial and labor support from Vojtech, one of his employees, Mr Josef Selichar, founded his own company, Selichar Setrans. The company specializes in supplying physical aids and equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches, special shoes, artificial limbs, for handicapped and disabled people, and for senior citizens. Today, Setrans is now one of the biggest suppliers in Prague, and employs more than 30 handicapped workers. Furthermore, Vojtech has persevered in securing jobs and enterprises in highly visible parts of society to create awareness of the problem of marginalizing the disabled and has empowered the disabled to demonstrate their ability to be productive members of society. In such a fashion, ProVas works on both the intervention role providing employment opportunities to the disabled, and also on the engagement of the public in understanding the issues to shift public policy towards larger impact. Currently Vojtech works in Prague and employs full-time disabled individuals in projects. Upcoming sites, for instance in Prerov (Moravian town) will have a shop with honey and plenty of accessories for beekeeping and beekeepers and web pages creation. In the Museum of Roztoky (town near Prague) future projects include a complete-servicing Café bar under the auspice one of the best Czech barista – coffee masters. Sedlacek’s goal is to provide employment and business opportunities to all willing disabled persons and to employ approximately 1400 disabled people by 2015. His other goal is to shift the policy debate to be more considerate of disabled needs in society. The Entrepreneur Vojtech was inspired to create ProVas as an instructor at an institution for the disabled in the Communist Era. He would often engage his students in productive activity rather than the standard curriculum and realized the empowering affect it had on the community. He never had any doubts of capability and launched ProVas with no hesitancy in investing in disabled business. Sedlacek is a dedicated, stubborn, and extremely ethical crusader for the cause of the disabled. When questioned as to why he put up with the adversity of bureaucrats in securing positions for the disabled in government offices, Sedlacek replied, “I will not let them be in peace!”
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