Natalya Shirokova

Since 2014, head of the Gubakha city organization of the Perm regional organization of the Russian Society of Disabled. One of the organizers of the intermunicipal festival of arts of disabled children «Ural Bouquet». As a volunteer, gives «Lessons of Kindness» in schools of Gubakha and Gremyachinsk. Awarded with the recognition letter from the Ombudsman of Perm region «For Volunteering Work».

Quotes

• Tolerance is coexisting peacefully with people who are different from you.
• If we are talking about rights equality for healthy and disabled people, then we need to share everything, including particular problems of one's city and country.
• If a person can't work — no problem. But sometimes we have situations when people do not want to work, even when they are capable of it and have various options.
• In Europe, they help willingly, in Russia people mostly pass by unless you ask for help. That's why I conclude «Lessons of Kindness» with a call to «look around in case someone there needs your help.

My story

Work helped me to overcome depression, when I ended up in a wheelchair. In 2009, I created first cell of organization of the Russian Society of Disabled (RSD) in Severnyi and Ugleuralskii villages. At that point, only three dwellers of those territories were members of the RSD, and only 25 people — in Gubakha. Now there are more than 200.

I see payback from my work when people who lived their lives meaninglessly understand their significance for society. One real-life example: man was drinking, was negligent in his dress, definitely felt himself good for nothing. Then he came to the Society of disabled, began to communicate, took part in our events, and changed a lot: his appearances changed, he acquired some taste in clothes, found himself something to do. He is currently an active member of RSD in Gubakha.

One of our projects is called „People among People“, and there is a direction connected with image, with the idea of transformation. Participants present themselves, share stories on why they want to change. Then professional stylists and makeup artists create new looks for our participants in the studio of Evgeniy Skoroda. Then they have a photoshoot. One of the participants, lady over 70, told us it was the first time she had her lips and eyes painted. The second part of the project includes creating volunteer squads where children help us in holding events. They also write down life stories of disabled people, make videos and get rewards for the best works.

Festival of arts of disabled children „Ural Bouquet“, which we hold every year together with House of Culture „Severnyi“, is dedicated to theatre this year. We have staged an inclusive performance-musical, where children with special needs play with their healthy peers and workers of the House of Culture. It is an ecological fairy-tale, with circus, vocal, and dance numbers in it, we tour it over the region. I think common creative work was even more important for healthy people than for disabled. You immediately see how teachers „adapted“. Choreographer first included only three of our children in the dance number, was afraid, kept saying, „Should we only leave two?“ At the end, there were seven disabled kids dancing, and she was in awe, „How amazing they are!“ Healthy kids were at first even afraid to take hands of children with mental disorders, and in a few rehearsals they were all hugging each other when they met.

At the „Lessons of Kindness“ in school, we model various situations: for example, we walk with our eyes closed and try to imagine the world as it is for those who lost sight. How to explain and understand something if you don't hear or can't talk, how you can tie laces with one hand. Younger children are usually interested in everyday life, „How do you eat? How do you sleep?“ Teachers are often worried that their pupils would „look bad“, „Remember, I told you about inclusive education, about tolerance?“ But for a third-grader it is difficult to sit still and learn „Tolerance is...“ We just talk, and at the end of the lesson boys run to see how the wheelchair works and girls climb on my lap.

With years passing, government listens more and more to our requests on the accessible environment. I say, „Let's do it in a proper way, so that we don't have to come back with the prosecution office order.“ They meet my requests. Gubakha Library where we hold many events is one of the best places in the region in terms of accessibility; all municipal houses of culture have toilets for disabled; after we requested regional government, they did one in the surgery department of the hospital as well. Together with prosecution office, we attained arrangement of the pedestrian crossing in front of the hospital. Several wheelchair users got ramps in their hall entrances — people raised money for it, no budget funds were spent.

Professor, who examined me after the accident, gave me a very important piece of advice. At that time, I was still looking down on people in wheelchairs and didn't want to think of becoming one myself. This doctor, when he evaluated my injury — such a spinal injury is often called „executioner's blow“ — told me not to waste my time on pointless attempts to get back on my feet. „Time is flying fast, so get used to it. There is life in a wheelchair, too, and an interesting one“, I didn't accept his words at first, but later I realized the advice was right.