Roman Romanov
As an internationally experienced architect and certified RHFAC Professional with a disability, Roman brings a wealth of lived experience to his work as an architect, designer, educator, artist, and illustrator, specializing in accessibility and inclusion. Fluent in French, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, and English, Roman has over 15 years of experience working with marginalized communities, including people with disabilities, minorities, and recent immigrants. He has worked with clients and projects in the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as most provinces and territories of Canada. He currently sits on Waterfront Toronto's Accessibility Advisory Committee, focusing on amplifying disabled voices in architecture and design to attain equitable access that is also well-designed and beautiful. His practice, Linear Nonlinear Inclusive Design, offers clients accessibility and universal design consulting services that seek to go beyond regulatory guidelines, creating better spaces that enhance the lives and experiences of all.
Passionate about education, Roman is a sessional faculty at OCAD University, leading undergraduate design studios, inclusive design seminars, and more. He has previously co-taught seven courses on architectural theory and history, design, professional practice, and visual representation at the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Rick Hansen Foundation's instructional team, offering the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification training to students at Laurentian University, George Brown College, and South Alberta Institute of Technology, ensuring the success of the next generation of access professionals.
Alongside two other faculty members, Roman co-founded Creative Research Practices (CRIP) Lab, an inclusive practices research center at OCAD University. As a leadership co-director, he leads and facilitates initiatives to advance inclusion and anti-ableist practices in architecture, design pedagogy, research, art production and exhibition, university hiring practices, organizational policy, professional mentorship for workers with disabilities, events symposia, and consulting.