How our team in Bulgaria is Making the Digital World More Accessible

How our team in Bulgaria is Making the Digital World More Accessible

At EPAM Bulgaria we continue to grow, achieve and build memories together while supporting meaningful causes. We are excited to dedicate time and resources to our local communities. We aim to make a positive impact on young talent and individuals who want to learn and explore opportunities in the IT field.

Today, we celebrate the strong partnerships we have built and recognize the young talents we have mentored through some of our most cherished causes. From empowering children with hearing loss to fostering the next generation of tech leaders, our mission remains: to make technology more inclusive.

Supporting Children with Hearing Loss at the Yanika Educational Center

A cornerstone of EPAM Bulgaria’s accessibility mission is the inspiring collaboration with the Yanika Educational Center for children with hearing and speech impairments. Every day, their team of educators ensures that children with hearing and speech impairments learn, grow and thrive alongside their peers. But they can’t do it alone — and when we first met their students and teachers, we knew we wanted to support their journey. We joined Yanika’s Summer Academy, where students met with experts like Borislav Nikolov, Senior Designer at EPAM Bulgaria, who introduced them to the world of design and guided them in designing logos for the first step in their creative journey.

Later, Yanika took part in our Drive-in Conf Lite: AI + A11Y, an event focused on inclusivity in the open world of technology.

In partnership with Google Cloud, we welcomed speakers like Patrick Schilling, Generative AI Partnerships & Google Zurich Accessibility Center Lead, Mitia Alexandrov, Founder of The Bulgarian Java User Group, and Sam Alexov, Chief Software Engineer at EPAM Bulgaria. Borislav Nikolov, alongside Yanika’s teacher Gina Delcheva, took the stage to share more about the center’s impactful work.

To further support Yanika, we launched two charity campaigns: EPAM Charity Trivia Night and the 10 Years of EPAM Bulgaria Party. Both raised funds for the education center. The second event took place just before the holidays and we collected books and financial support for the students at the center. We were honored to welcome Yanika’s founder and an expert in deaf education, Tanya Dimitrova, to our EPAM Trivia Night as she shared her story and highlighted the importance of sign language as a tool for communication and integration.

Exploring Sign Language with Deaf.bg

When our colleague and Software Engineer, Alexander Markov, introduced us to Deaf.bg (a platform that unites the Deaf community in Bulgaria and offers sign language courses) we knew we had to be part of it. Together, we organized a sign language workshop to teach our colleagues key expressions and give them a deeper understanding of the Deaf community. The session was a reminder that accessibility is not just about tools or policies; it’s about understanding, mutual respect and breaking down barriers.

Supporting students from the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics

We support the Data Analysis program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics. Our team welcomed three new students, Michaela, Georgi and Simona in 2024. We hosted them in our office as part of an internship focused on the future of data analytics. 

Guided by our colleague and Senior Software Engineer, Panayot Panayotov, these students learned how data can drive accessibility across industries and gained a strong foundation for their professional journey. By investing in education and mentorship, we continue to create a more inclusive tech landscape.

Partnering with the “Moment of Humanity” Initiative

Accessibility is not just about technology — it’s about ensuring that basic human needs are met. Our team supports the “Moment of Humanity” initiative, which provides aid to senior citizens. Our colleagues got together and donated essential goods and food staples, showing compassion to people in need from local communities.

Looking Forward

We believe every initiative makes an impact. Our team continues to show we can achieve incredible results that make a difference in our communities and the world of tech when we are united by a common goal.

At EPAM, we’re committed to building technology that makes a difference — driving accessibility, inclusion and progress. If you are inspired to learn more, you can explore our ESG initiatives here: https://bit.ly/4jrlO3X

If you’re interested in joining our team and making a difference alongside us, apply for your next role at www.epam.com/careers.