“RG” correspondents met him in the Imeretinskaya lowland ornithological park. When Yevgeny appears at the park’s front gate in his quietly whirring electric wheelchair, passers-by turn involuntarily. Zhenya calls his device with a car seat an “all-terrain tank”: the built-in stander easily climbs up and down the mountain resort of Krasnaya Polyana, you can lie down and even stand on it. The ingenious system is controlled via a joystick on the arm, which I at first mistook for a microphone: commands are given only by pressing the chin.
– The electric wheelchair gave me independence, with it I began to move freely around the city, – explains Knyazev. – But there are no such devices in our country. Friends helped, organized a fundraiser that lasted for several years. But now, thanks to the joystick microphone, I can control household appliances and work on a computer.
Eugene developed his own project – the tourist center “Accessible Sochi”, bought an old minibus and thought up routes
The injury Knyazev received in 2006 caused him spastic tetraplegia, that is, it completely immobilized his arms and legs. The Krasnodar doctors could not at least somehow alleviate the condition of the young man, and in Germany, famous for its advanced medical centers, the doctors of one of the clinics, where Zhenya arrived in the hope of improvement, also shrugged their shoulders. helplessly.
– Psychological reorganization was given by rehabilitation in the Crimean spinal sanatorium named after Academician Burdenko in the city of Saki, – says Evgeny. – There they communicate with you on an equal footing, without stammering regret: if at home you watch TV prostrate, then there, I remember, the first morning I woke up from lively sounds – someone turned on the broadcast of the Formula 1 race I see a patient running down the hall in a wheelchair, the second. Soon, mud procedures, physiotherapy, physiotherapy exercises begin, but the main thing here is a clear daily routine and communication with roommates. After all, when you find yourself in such a situation, no one (not even a doctor) will tell you what to do.
The Sochi Winter Olympics have left a legacy of accessible infrastructure. Zhenya began to actively use it, and with the experience gained, the desire began to mature in him that more people with disabilities could travel, learn something new and receive joy.
After studying at the school of social entrepreneurship, Evgeny developed his own project – the Accessible Sochi tourist information center, bought an old spacious minibus and thought up inclusive routes around the city, to Abkhazia and the Krasnaya Polyana mountains.
– I adhere to an individual approach: I find out in advance which group, which diseases, because someone can sit all day, and someone needs to rest in two hours, someone needs accompaniment, – explains the guide. – The first organized tours were trips to Formula 1 races. The route was first tested with friends – 15 people gathered. We not only visited the autodrome, but also went to Krasnaya Polyana, swam in the open-air pool and rode the attractions. In 2018, he organized a trip to the host cities of the World Cup. And in the past, she organized a wedding tour to Abkhazia for friends with disabilities.
Evgeny does not hide the fact that services for the disabled are sometimes too expensive, because they entail additional difficulties. As a social entrepreneur, you’re ready to help businesses provide an accessible environment, but only a few seek recommendations. In Europe, inclusive tourism constitutes an important source of income, attracting additional customers to cafes, museums and cinemas, while in our country they still see the visitor in a wheelchair as a catch. However, society is reluctant to part with stereotypes, it takes time and… enthusiasts like Zhenya.
