Sound documentarian and nature sound recordist, employee of the UG Foreign Languages Centre, graduate of English and Russian philology at the University of Gdańsk, blind since birth - dr Izabela Dłużyk has been honoured with the title of ‘Person Without Barriers’ 2025! The award ceremony took place on 2 December 2025 at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. ‘We live in a world that is difficult, sometimes even very difficult, but it is also extremely beautiful. Only this beauty is like crumbs that need to be picked up; you have to look around for them,’ said the winner as she accepted the statuette.

Dr Izabela Dłużyk, an academic teacher at the University of Gdańsk, has been recording the sounds of nature since she was 12 years old. Armed with a professional tape recorder, she set off on expeditions deep into the Białowieża Forest and the Amazon jungle, where she recorded a unique species of parrot. Year after year and day after day, she proves that nothing is impossible for her, and that disability does not destroy dreams or prevent her from enjoying life and living it to the fullest.

‘My greatest passion is listening to and recording nature,’ she said in a video presenting her profile. ‘I work at a university, where I also try to conduct scientific research on sound. You could say that pretty much everything in my life is about sound. The fact that I have been blind since birth has influenced my sensitivity to sound. Sound as a phenomenon has had a profound impact on me, which is certainly related to the fact that I cannot see. I am not saying this from the perspective that I am missing something, but rather from the perspective that it has shaped me.’

When receiving the ‘Man Without Barriers’ statuette, dr Izabela Dłużyk thanked above all her family, who had supported her since childhood in developing her passions and pursuing her goals. She added that from an early age she was full of dreams and ideas.

‘The most important thing is that we live in a world which is difficult, sometimes even very difficult, but on the other hand, it is extremely beautiful. Only this beauty is like crumbs that need to be picked up; you have to look around for them,’ said the winner. ‘And the most important thing is that we share it: that we share beauty, that we share goodness, because that is what keeps us human. This is what develops us, what enriches us, what unites us. As long as I am able to do this, as long as I do not lose it, I will be in my place.’

The aim of the ‘Person Without Barriers’ Award is to present people with disabilities whose commitment and social attitude motivate others to overcome their own barriers. The poll has been organised for 20 years by the Friends of Integration Association.

A report from the awards gala can be viewed at: Człowiek Bez Barier.