Overcoming disability

In Russia today most disabled people are invisible, shut out from mainstream society. 

Parents of children with disabilities face many pressures: stigma, economic hardship because they can't go out to work, and usually cramped housing.  Without support many put their children into children's homes.

St Gregory's Foundation  helped introduce physiotherapy to Russia in the 1990s.  This is now taught across the country, and local physiotherapists are teaching disabled children to sit, stand and walk.  These same physiotherapists are also supporting parents and making it possible for disabled children to take their place in society.

We also provided equipment for testing the hearing of young babies.  Thousands of babies have had their hearing tested.  Where problems were picked up, sometimes it was possible to save the baby's hearing.  Others will be helped much earlier in life as a result.

We continue to support organisations that:

• are introducing new therapies to improve the care of disabled children
• care for the whole person, looking after their social and emotional needs as well as their physical symptoms
• support the parents and siblings
• campaign to improve the care of disabled children and access to education

Find out more . . .

Physiotherapy	Deaf club	Faith and Light