Twenty blind and deafblind students, aged 13 to 17, from the ONCE Educational Resources Center in Madrid, visited the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday to learn about the functioning of the institution, access the hemicycle, and delve into the history of the Union.
The visit was an initiative of the MEP Isabel Benjumea, who a few months ago had the opportunity to learn about the work carried out at the educational center located in the Madrid neighborhood of Moratalaz. Also in attendance were the ONCE General Counsel, Ana Díaz; the Director of the Technical Office of European Affairs at the Organization, Cristina Barreto; and seven teachers from the Educational Resources Center.
The group of students had the opportunity to exchange views with Benjumea, asking her about accessibility projects at the European level or programs for training, education, and employment for people with disabilities in the member countries.
The MEP emphasized the importance of young people feeling «close to European representatives.» «From Europe, we have to offer opportunities to talent and more solutions to young people so that they can develop their professional career on an equal footing,» she emphasized.
«You have potential and immense talent, and it would be a mistake not to take advantage of it for the benefit of European society,» she said, emphasizing the need to work on improving accessibility in the member countries.
Benjumea acknowledged that the visit to the ONCE Educational Resources Center in Madrid «was one of the best experiences» of her life. «I loved seeing how, in the face of adversity, you overcome it every day to have a better quality of life and be as autonomous as possible,» she said.
The students had been preparing for the trip for two months, excited and learning more about Europe and its institutions. As Inés Rodríguez, 16 years old, acknowledges, this visit is «a great opportunity to learn many new things and an easier way to have a greater knowledge of the European Parliament.»
«It’s a wonderful experience because you can’t say every day that you’re visiting such an important institution like the European Parliament. It’s a way to learn more about history, meet an MEP, and hear about the projects being worked on in Europe for the inclusion of people with disabilities,» said Paula Fernández, 17 years old.
Hayden Rodríguez, 12 years old, feels «very lucky» to be in Brussels, while his friend Aitor Laplaza (13 years old) stated that «it’s a great responsibility» because they are representing ONCE and blind Spanish people.
Raquel Muñoz, an English teacher at the ONCE Educational Resources Center in Madrid, recognized that it is a «very positive experience,» also for the students to «appreciate the importance of learning languages when traveling to another country.» «For many of them, it’s the first time they’ve left Spain, and it has been an opportunity they will never forget to put into practice what they learn in our educational center,» she concluded.
Prior to the visit to the European Parliament, the blind and deafblind boys and girls visited the European Parliament’s visitor center (Parlamentarium), where they toured European history and integration with an interactive map and over 100 stories about the diversity of the old continent.
The group arrived in the European capital on Tuesday and enjoyed leisure and sightseeing in the central streets of Brussels, visiting the Grand Place, the Manneken Pis, and the traditional souvenir, chocolate, waffle, and French fry establishments.
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