A meeting of inclusive volunteers was held at Saratov State University on May 18. Its participants were students of educational organizations in the region – activists of the volunteer movement and heads of social structures responsible for accompanying persons with disabilities. The event was conducted by Vice-Rector for Secondary Vocational Education and Social Work Olga Nesterova.

At the opening of the meeting, she welcomed the guests and participants on behalf of SSU Aleksei Chumachenko. ‘The leadership of Saratov State University supports all volunteer initiatives of our students. The volunteer movement unites those who provide assistance to people with disabilities and disabilities in need of assistance. Today, representatives of various educational institutions gathered here – SSU, SSMU, SSAL, RANEPA, SSTU, and the College of Water Transport, Construction, and Service,’ the moderator of the forum explained. ‘All educational institutions pay great attention to inclusive education, much has been done in this direction at our university. We are constantly working to improve the spatial and socio-cultural environment of education and stay of students with health problems.’

For this purpose, the university has created the Centre for Student Inclusive Education and Social Adaptation, a Abilympics regional volunteer centre, which has been successfully accumulating the creative energy of volunteers for six years.

Its head, Irina Nikolayeva, commented on the Abilympics regional volunteer centre. ‘Nowadays inclusive volunteering is an urgent, gaining momentum movement. At Saratov University, it begins its history in 2015, when the first Tutor School appeared, a year later the Abilympics regional centre was opened, annually, on the basis of the university, volunteers are trained according to the centre's programmes.’

Traditionally, the Abilympics regional volunteer centre participates in regional events: Abilympics professional skill championships, Reading Aloud, Angel's Heart, inclusive balls, and others.

Head of the Resource Centre for the Development of Volunteering and the Youth Movement of the Youth Plus Regional Centre for Integrated Social Services for Children and Youth Darina Panteleyeva spoke about the importance of the interaction of the headed structure with the Abilympics SSU centre. ‘Inclusion has long been an integral part of our society. The development of volunteer activity on the territory of our region is a concept that opens the doors to a world of opportunities for all people regardless of age, status, physical and intellectual capabilities. This is a volunteer direction that has a basic principle in itself: respect for each other and the principle of equality.’

A report on volunteering as an effective means of forming and developing Abilympics professional skill contests for people with disabilities was made by Head of the Abilympics CMD in Saratov Region Anna Latynskaya. Anna Vladimirovna invited the initiative youth of the region to take part in the 7th regional championship on professional skills among the disabled and persons with disabilities, which will be held on June 8-9 at the Saratov College of Water Transport, Construction, and Service. Anna Latynskaya presented letters of thanks to the participants whose activities are inextricably linked with inclusion and volunteering.

Head of the RMC of Psychological and Pedagogical Support for Families with Children with Special Education Needs, SSU, Marina Konovalova spoke about the role of volunteer activity in the personal and professional development of students. She emphasized the innovative nature of the centre's activities, namely, the formation of a new culture of support for a family raising a child with disabilities through interaction with parent NGOs and the involvement of interested specialists and student volunteers.

The social projects of the Hope Sail Centre for Adaptation and Rehabilitation of Disabled People were discussed by its head Ekaterina Pyatkina, who focused on such areas of work with the wards of the centre as the On Equal Terms media club, a drama club, and a joint project of the centre and the SSU – the Inspiration drama club.

As part of the programme for the participants, master classes were held on accompanying persons with visual, hearing, musculoskeletal disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and mental retardation. They were conducted by SSU staff – Tanzilya Rudzinskaya, Lyudmila Myasnikova, Aleksei Fisenko, and Maria Nikitina.

The biofeedback training on the Kenesis device was conducted by Associate Professor of the Department of Special Needs Education Ekaterina Gorina.

On the same day, in Room 614, Bldg. 12, the staff of the regional special library for the blind organized a tactile exhibition entitled I See the City.

At the closing of the event, the participants shared their emotions and impressions of the experience. The children managed to master new skills and mechanisms of interaction with people with health limitations.

The highlight of the program was the performance of a team of inclusive volunteers – students of the Faculty of Psychological, Pedagogical, and Special Needs Education with a sign song We Are to Blame for Envying.