OCTOBER 2009

My dream came true!

To see my dream come true as an Official Tourism Guide is something, I can’t explain. It has been a hard and long path to ride, of effort and perseverance, which finally gave me the deserved result.

I had to undergo many hard, difficult tests and exams, but I can say I passed all of them the first time round.

I am the first Spanish Guide with auditory deficiency who also knows the Official Sign Language. This information is included in my Guide ID.  Now I can do what I most like, be a guide for everyone, and, especially for the deaf and hard of hearing people.

My big dream was to work in this field so I studied and got my diploma in Tourism. With a lot of effort and dedication, I became a tourist guide, who can communicate in Spanish, English, French, as well as in the Spanish Official Sign Language.

After completing my studies, I had to undergo exhaustive exams to obtain my Guide ID and be able to visit and explain the history of different palaces and Monasteries in the Community of Madrid.

It is an honour to have achieved my purpose and be able to help deaf people learn more about Spanish culture and enrich their knowledge about our history, art and overall culture. It would be ideal for them to enjoy their visits accompanied by a specialised guide like me, as I know their needs as a collective best. I will facilitate their accessibility to monuments, palaces and museums in the Community of Madrid.

My goal is to help the deaf and hard of hearing people to increase the range of possibilities and accessibility to the knowledge, art and history of the monuments we have in the Community of Madrid. The goal is also to make them feel they are capable of doing many things, and make them understand that having a hearing loss is not an impediment to achieve what they dream or desire. This initiative is also focused to help boost jobs and job promotions for the deaf and hard of hearing population.