“SoYedinenie and its projects really changed my life and my kid’s life. My kid now has the opportunity to see best health professionals and receive in-home care, as well as to go to different places on vacation. My son’s communication, listening and motor skills are improving, resulting in a higher quality of life. I personally began to feel more confident about myself and our future, I met so many interesting people, some of them even became my true friends and mentors. I now have the opportunity to take up various on-site and off-site training courses, to have a better understanding of legal issues and to help other deaf-blind kids.”

“I joined the project in November 2014, while attending a workshop for deaf-blind people in Puchkovo. The five years I spent with the Foundation were perhaps the brightest years in my professional and personal life. I was appointed coordinator in one of the first entertainment centers for the deaf-blind in Izhevsk. Working at the center, I could create, meet new people and get them involved in my activities. I enjoyed all that. “I participated in the Foundation’s literary contests and the ‘Russia through the eyes of the deaf-blind’ project, and this was really important to me. Through the Foundation’s events – Culture Weeks, seminars – I got a lot of new friends around the country, both deaf-blind and able to see and hear. I like to travel yet I never had a chance to go anywhere before. In my last five years I traveled much more than in my entire life before that. There were all sorts of trips: to share my experience, to learn something new, to have a vacation. I’ve been to Yekaterinburg, Perm, Moscow, Makhachkala (and other cities in Dagestan), Radeberg (Germany). I am really grateful to the Foundation for this opportunity to see the world with my own eyes, get close and feel it.”

“After the census, I was invited to Moscow to go to a doctor there who helped me find the hearing aid that would work best for me. The SoYedinenie Foundation provided me with a Braille Mini U2 notetaker, which I still use today and for which I am very grateful to the Foundation. I have so much fun these days: tours, master classes, picnics, cultural and sports events. Also, I participate in artistic contests. In September 2018, the Foundation arranged an unforgettable meeting with the pop star Lolita. And on top of that, I got to go to Saint Petersburg to attend the 2nd Women’s Forum and get an award in the Overcoming the Adversity category. I feel more confident now, I enjoy life. I know that people need me, and I can help them, I can be useful.”

“Two years ago, after the census, I joined a support group. I went to a rehabilitation session in Puchkovo where I learned about things other deaf-blind people do. I realized I can do more with my life: I can create for myself, for my family, for people around me. I met some friends. I went to a resort area near Tyumen, where I attended a computer class. I learned how to use Jaws (software for blind people). I went through orientation training and passed an exam for computer users. In my hometown, I go to a chess and checkers club. I played in a number of checkers tournaments for people with various disabilities. My life has a goal and meaning now. For the past couple of years, I have been a member of the Expert Council, I work with the Your Companion magazine, I go to the club, I took part in two general meetings [of the regional deaf-blind association]where I was actively involved: I voted, asked questions, met new people, communicated with others. Because of the Foundation, my life turned around: I started communicating with people, going outside (I can go to the association on my own; sometimes, I go to the library or just go outside for a walk). Because of the Foundation and the Expert Council, I went through an individual rehabilitation/inclusion program and got new rehabilitation tools I need for comfortable life. My life changed dramatically, and this progress means the world to me. I am now an active member of the deaf-blind community, and I will support any effort to make the lives of deaf-blind people better.”