In the most recent graduation photo for the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) History degree there is something surprising: between the busts of smart students and sporting a pale blue sash, the guide dog Desi stands out accompanied by his owner, Abel Beldad Serrano, in a story of bettering oneself.
Abel Beldad Serrano is one of the twenty-five students who graduated with a History degree from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM). Just like the rest of his classmates, he began his university studies at the Ciudad Real Faculty of Arts in 2018 and now, four years later, he appears in the commemorative graduation photo which certifies the latests crop of new historians.
What is unusual about this graduation photo is his special companion. She is a labrador called Desdi who has accompanied him for the past six years, from the time Abel lost his sight as a result of an irreversible neuropathy he suffered when he was 56 years old. “Suddenly, my sight became all misty and then, I just couldn´t see any more”, Abel explains, who at the time was running the Los Arcos bar, a popular venue in Calle La Mata. "I had to close down the bar because it was not possible to carry on like that, although I tried to keep it running until the end", he says.
Then, he decided to study for a degree in History. Why History? "Because I´ve always loved it and now I have time to study". Just like that. Just like that? Up until then, Abel Beldad Serrano had obtained primary education qualifications at the adult education centre, but he didn´t even know how to read Braille. Even so, he prepared the university entrance examinations for the over-45s and passed. The rest is history.
Although he still has some subjects left and the end-of-degree thesis before he gets his degree, Abel Beldad Serrano did not want to miss out on the opportunity to share the graduation ceremony with his classmates, the teaching staff and his dog. "Desi has come to all the classes with me. She belongs to the faculty and always behaves very well", he says.
In this effort to better himself. Abel gave his heartfelt thanks to the help given by his classmates, the teaching staff and the University of Castilla-La Mancha Support Service for the Disabled (SAED). "People from SAED accompany you from the time you start studying at the university. They help you with everything; they tell you about the procedures and timetables, and even accompany you to different places so that you become familiar with them", Abel states, who also praises the willingness of teachers and students to help. On a final note, he encourages people like him who have some disability to follow their university dream.
UCLM Communication Office Ciudad Real, 19th of January 2022