Link of the day: The "Medusa" report about the life of the deaf-blind in Russia
ONLINE "LINK OF THE DAY" We recommend materials from other publications on topics that deserve attention. Today we invite you to read the Medusa report on the life of deaf-blind Russians: journalist Irina Kravtsova spoke with people diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a genetic disease that leads to complete loss of vision and hearing without the ability to slow down or reverse this process.
Due to the lack of a developed system of medical care and support for families in which children with Usher syndrome are born, many deaf-blind people in Russia find themselves in social isolation: although in most cases the disease does not affect the intellect, many people with Usher syndrome do not master the necessary means of communication - sign language or Braille, do not have the opportunity to get an education and live independently. In the report, Medusa mentions foreign initiatives to integrate the deaf-blind into society, as well as the Russian pilot project of accompanied living for the deaf-blind "Silent House." This format of residence allows deaf-blind people not to remain without communication for weeks, as is the case in psycho-neurological boarding schools.
As the translator says, the total lack of communication is the biggest problem for the deaf and blind. "To master the language of gestures and the child," says Cazac. as in a cage, and concludes that he is a burden for everyone. " Alena Kapustyan recalls that once her family was sitting at a festive table - and none of the relatives had enough time to translate something into sign language. Having sat so all evening, the girl went to her room and tried to commit suicide by tightening the rope from the hood of her sweatshirt around her neck.
"It cannot be cured, it is impossible to help: What is Usher syndrome and how blind deaf people live in Russia", meduza.io