On Saturday (27 March), RaDeYa members visited a "special world" with wheelchair users. Talking with them, you begin to understand their world — overcoming obstacles, strength, perseverance, sound judgment, wisdom, activity, and initiative....

Guests from Grodno arrived, led by Anna Yashina — founder of the "Let's Go" travel project, which won the Social Weekend competition for social initiatives. The main goal of "Let's Go" is to create spaces where people can find one another to spend leisure time together, go on excursions and trips, socialize actively, and travel — tourism without barriers, both with and without people with disabilities. The six-member team now aims to test barrier-free environments in regional cities of Belarus together with local residents to develop tourist routes. Their first destination was Brest. They had a full programme, starting with our main landmark — Brest Hero-Fortress. In the evening, people gathered at the sundial on the Embankment (volunteers from Grodno and Brest residents with disabilities) to meet, get acquainted, and discuss barrier-free access issues in Brest today.

"Our main goal for the near future is to walk and ride wheelchairs along central streets, test the city, and propose the most accessible route map of sightseeing paths for people with disabilities. Develop at least one city route: describe the problem and how to solve it as much as possible — or, conversely, show that everything necessary for wheelchair users is available. Accessibility problems can be solved without rebuilding everything — sometimes an alternative route is enough. In Grodno we don't yet have barrier-free access everywhere, so we gather people in different cities who can be 'in the right place at the right time,'" says Anna Yashina.

Admiring the beauty of our city, we noticed high steps at the "Ziko" and "Technika uspekha" shops and Alfa-Bank. Then we saw a "Soviet-style" ramp made of two "rails." Wheelchair users, before even reaching it, said they could not go up — front wheels fall between the "rails" into the steps, and rear wheels do not fit. Stop. No access to the shops! So the question arises: what is it for? For decoration? Someone spotted a sign with a button "to call bank staff." So if we press it, will someone from the bank come? Do they have a special employee to lift a person in a wheelchair? Unfortunately the bank was closed — we would have tested that sign-button. We will ask Brest residents. Further on we saw a good modern ramp near the exhibition hall, where Vitaly rode in his wheelchair without obstacles. Anna needed more time to reach the exhibition hall. At the alley of lanterns, new curb barriers began. On Lenin Street, guests saw the modern puppet theatre — everything is convenient for wheelchair users.

"If Anya could climb the ramp, everyone else can too," says the founder of "Let's Go" with a smile.

Evening — time to light the lanterns! Hurrying to a city tradition, we managed to see the Brest lamplighter, in Petrine-era uniform, lighting kerosene lamps of historic street lanterns. Anna managed to touch a button on the uniform and make a wish. It was pleasant to see her joyful eyes. The guests were tired after a full day of travel and went to "Khinkalnya" to try Georgian cuisine.

"I liked the city, especially Sovetskaya Street — it reminds me of a 'little Petersburg,'" says Vitalik from Grodno.