EQ in 2020

EQ in 2020

There is ability in every disability. 

What happens when you close your eyes and rely only on your sense of touch?

We asked this question in the context of a film produced in July, 2020 (Link: https://eq-bg.org/en/to-feel-the-bridge-over-the-danube/)

The film shows activities from a series of “tactile workshops” hosted by EQ and Ruse’s regional history museum.

What is a tactile workshop?

We invited participants to explore a variety of objects through the medium of touch while blindfolded. Our ambition was to provoke an understanding of the condition of sensory deprivation.

EQ works with children and young adults who are neurologically atypical or physically disabled. Indeed, we provide permanent care for youngsters in the context of family-like accommodation while also supporting families in the context of daycare.

The children we care for could be described as “disabled” but in the film we ask the question: “Does awareness of our senses (eg when blindfolded) help us understand the strengths of those we see as vulnerable?”.

It’s a challenging question, isn’t it? But, the film documents work done in the context of a project in which EQ collaborated with partners in Italy, and the thing we have in common is the day-on-day need to “understand the strengths” of the young people we work with so as to remain optimistic about personal outcomes and the maximization of the potential of each and every child.

So, the message from the film is conveyed in the professional attitude we encourage in our small-group accommodation centres – the Pink House, Love and Hope. At the Pink House, we care for a number of youngsters transferred from the notorious Mogilino institute that featured in the UK television broadcast by Kate Blewett. The reaction of the international community to the broadcast is said to have kickstarted the deinstitutionalization process in Bulgaria – the closure of large, residential facilities for children.

In numerous bulletins we’ve revealed the remarkable transformation of those youngsters and others in our care including those we provide with 24-hour, medicalized care because of their severe medical conditions and / or compromised development.  

It was uplifting to record the reactions of those who took part in the tactile workshops that included parents and those who care for children with special needs. Additionally, the film features schoolchildren wearing blindfolds and exploring sculptures with their hands as well as miniatures of local landmarks such as the Danube bridge.