When the possibility of visiting Perm presented itself I thought, as I always do, ‘Will it be possible given that I am severely visually impaired?’ Well, I’m back to tell the tale so here’s how it went.
First of all I booked assistance at the airports in London and Moscow. This worked like a dream. From the moment I arrived at Heathrow I was placed in the care of staff who accompany passengers with disabilities through the airport and into the aeroplane. In Moscow it was the same and I was able to speed through immigration etc in a stress free fashion. The return journey was the same and I have nothing but praise for the staff in both cities who made the journey so much easier.
During the whole visit I had to depend on the help of my companions. In Afghanistan my companions shared out this assistance so that each day a different person took the initiative to help. This worked well in Russia too and sometimes my guide would ask someone else to offer their arm so that they could take photos or spend a bit longer looking at an interesting piece in a museum. I am really grateful for all the help Alison, Sue, Carole, Rico, Chris and John gave me as sometimes the pavements were uneven, and steps and staircases too. Not many buildings we visited were adapted for easy access and I know that people in wheelchairs have a very difficult life. I think there is legislation about accessibility but that comes from central government and the regions are not always able or willing to implement it.
My wonderful hosts, Danil and Olga, were terrific. I really enjoyed staying with them, and their inquisitive cat, in their apartment not far from the University. They are a young couple, he teaches physics and she works in the International Department at the university. They were so kind and considerate and made life simple in the flat. Both of them were happy to give me an arm when we went out and never failed to warn me of hazards in the way. This kindness gave me a lot of confidence.
Karen arranged a visit for me to the Perm Association for the Visually Impaired and Hearing Impaired. The Director is himself a V.I.P and the visit was most interesting as I learnt about the history of the association and the work they do. They gave me a wonderful DVD, made in 2013, which, although I don’t understand the speakers, gives an inspirational and comprehensive picture of the lives, challenges and accomplishments of V.I.P.s in the Perm Region. The film looks at all age groups, work and leisure and has several interviews with V.I.Ps. I’m going to ask a Russian speaking friend to watch the film with me to translate, although as I am learning Russian it’s good for me to watch alone to see if I can pick up the gist of the speakers.
Watching this documentary about V.I.P.s in Perm makes me realise that my visit to them only scratched the surface of what they do and I really want to return to learn more.
Live Adventurously 