Many people see the blind as helpless: sight-impaired individuals need help crossing the street, avoiding a broken step, surviving. The Synergia Foundation aims to change this perception by proving that the skills and talents of the visually impaired not only can make them self-sufficient but also can enable them to help others. The sight-impaired massage therapists at Hi Touch studio are a perfect example.
The name of the studio is an analogy to “hi-tech” relying on visually impaired individuals’ advanced tactile ability and its therapists’ high qualifications. All three members of the Hi Touch team—Еvgenia, Vesselin, and Nadezhda—are certified massage therapists. Their superior skills ensure that clients receive massages from qualified professionals who know the human body better than anyone else.
Hi Touch therapists offer a variety of services, from relaxing massages to treatments addressing specific physical problems. The high degree of professionalism and quality of service are reflected in the excellent reviews on sites like Tripadvisor. One review reads: “As a person suffering from chronic pain in the back and neck due to stress and past injuries, I found the series of full and partial massages most relieving—as though my body was gradually unlocked from the pain. Now I feel the freedom of movement again and my body seems to be performing again.” Another client wrote: “Very good and professional massage studio. The idea behind the business is also great and I felt that I received high quality service and the money goes to support its growth as an independent social enterprise.” A third review said that the “people were nice, highly educated, paying special and personal attention to everyone.”
The first massage facility staffed by visually impaired individuals in Bulgaria opened its doors in April 2018 after Synergia won the 2018 competition for an NGO business plan run by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law with support from ABF. In July, Hi Touch started offering therapeutic massages at a second location in Sofia.
In addition to running a therapeutic massage business, Synergia organizes events aimed at facilitating the economic and social integration of sight-impaired individuals. Dialogues in the Dark are held in complete darkness and pair sighted individuals with a blind guide who helps them navigate an unfamiliar environment. The dialogues connect sight-impaired people with representatives of NGOs, public institutions, businesses, and the media in order to increase the public’s understanding of the blind’s reality. For the guides, the role-reversing encounters are a confidence-boosting exercise.
Hi Touch team member Nadezhda Burova says, “Regardless of their disability—whether they are blind or in a wheelchair—people can make a great contribution to society and be part of the economy. These people deserve a chance. The disabled can be excellent professionals, and I think we have proven this, immodest as it may sound.”
