UNICEF equipped a training orientation playground for deaf and blind kids
About such kids people often say that they live without light and sound. For ten-years-old Anya it could have been so if not Serviev Posad Home for Blind and Deaf Children. She was born healthy, but when she was 1,5 years old Anya lost her sense of hearing and in 6 years she got blind. Doctors tried to save one Anya’s eye, but not successfully. It turned out that she has inherited disease – Ushera sindrom. Sorrowful parents who lost all their courage brought her to the children’s house. Now Anya spends only working days here, as some other kids whose families live not very far. And during weekends she is at home with parents in Orekhovo-Zuevskiy District of Moscow Oblast’. “Anya is a very talented girl, in ordinary school she could get good marks”, says her teacher Olga Pestova. Before coming to children’s house she knew neither any sign of Dactyl language used by deaf people, nor she knew any letter of Braille system of embossed type used by blind. And she knew just a few sounds while deaf people are able to hear certain sounds. She did not know how to use many articles, but in some cases the opposite was true. Anya can sweep the floor, but she never new words “scoop” and “mop”. Just during three years in children’s house Anya has learnt a lot. She likes reading books, especially ones of Nosov. She told me that recently read his story “Grandmother Dina”. I easily learnt to communicate with her. She put her steady hand to my throat and following its vibrations she understood the words I pronounced. And it was amazingly that she spoke with me, maybe her sounds were not always as well articulated but quite understandable. Anya does not tell anyone about her dream and she did not think yet what she would do when grows up. It is easier for her now to pronounce simple words, but specialists say it is just a beginning! Now her parents have another vision of her future. Olga Pestova thinks Anya could work, for example, as a tutor in children’s house if her health does not break down. In Russia according to various estimations there are from five to eight thousand of kids having same problems. “Most frequently kids become deaf and blind because of profound prematurity and infections during pregnancy”, comments deputy director Elena Zarechnova. In Sergiev-Posad house there are 230 nurslings of which 30 are the kids abandoned by parents, they are mostly deaf-blind and blind. It is unclear who deal with others and how. Each month people come to Sergiev Posad with their children. There are no any other deaf and blind children’s institutions in Russia where these kids would live such a full life.
Kids in Sergiev Posad house spend their free time not less interesting than their healthy counterparts, probably even more. After lessons they can do many things such as drawing, modeling, plaiting, rhythmic gymnastics, reading books in library. Some boys are football fans. Older kids already make plans about their future. Dream of unseeing Sasha is to become a musician, his friend Volodya wants to run a furniture factory. Kids are open for interaction; there is no feeling of constraint. Tutors have time for every child since in each school group there are only 4-5 kinds. “Every child is special and deserves love and attention”, says children’s house slogan. As most of us, graduates of children’s house not infrequently create families, including those with healthy partners. Many graduates receive further education. Some of them then graduate from pedagogical colleagues; two people even receive higher education (with a help of secretaries). As among ordinary pupils, here everything also depends on ability and also from mental state. Sometimes for deaf and blind people it is difficult to integrate into society, they lose connections with families, but it happens not very often. In such cases they always can come back and to work in their own children’s house, they would be welcome. Besides here new things are happening almost everyday! In Sergiev Posad all progressive methods of deaf and blind children development are applied. This autumn children’s house obtained a unique training orientation playground for deaf and blind kids granted by United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF. It helps kids to orient themselves in space outside their house. In adult life they could not do without this skill. Thanks to UNICEF children now have comfortable three wheel bicycles. Anya rides one of them with great relish; she tries to turn at specially prepared road. At this playground kids also learn to cross the street using special lighter and to get on the bus. The idea of this playground belongs to the director of the children’s house Galina Epifanova, who has been working here for 26 years. She constantly traces all novelties aimed to improve life and education of kids. “Of course, expenses for meals and cloths for children, salaries for staff, communication services, and medicaments are covered by state. But we need much more than ordinary children”, says Galina Epifanova. She learnt about this playground form US colleagues, where deaf and blind children have been treated effectively for a long time. In Russia teachers and students come here in Sergiev Posad to learn how to do this. The unique playground will definitely attract their attention. Specialists of Sergiev Posad children’s house are ready to share experience, to initiate and train groups of teachers and tutors in each Russian region. Now they are waiting that the state will support this initiative. Victoria Kopeykina
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