Alona Brown’s odyssey to Alicante, Spain began several years ago as she sat among her closest friends in a ceramics class at the Denver Senior Center. She was listening intently as her friends talked about being old, feeling that they no longer had anything to contribute to the world.

Her hands deftly worked the wet, pliable clay as she thought about growing older herself. “You know, ladies,” she said, “it isn’t over till it’s over.” One friend, a 95-year-old woman, exclaimed, “Alona, if it isn’t over for us, then what about you?”

Until then, Brown, a 44-year-old blind woman, had immersed herself in church work. For her, that was easy and familiar. She wasn’t stretching her boundaries or building any new skills. The simple conversation in the ceramics class propelled her in a new direction. She began learning Braille and accepted an invitation to serve on a local United Way funds allocation committee. There, she rubbed shoulders with business executives and college graduates. Brown decided that she would be able to contribute to her community more effectively and confidently if she had a college education.

At 47, Brown received a letter of acceptance to the University of Denver, Colorado. Being a lover of ideas and theology, she chose to major in philosophy. To fulfill the university’s language requirement, Brown began studying Spanish. Her tutor, who was from Spain, suggested that she enhance her language study by spending a semester in that country.  She took the idea to heart.

Brown spent many hours with her reader in the study abroad library researching options and possible sources of funding. Brown's study abroad advisor worked diligently with her to be sure that Brown felt she knew enough to make the best choice for herself. “It is crucial,” Brown says, “to ask lots of questions and get in touch with the director of the programs that interest you.” Brown communicated clearly about what she expected from her experience and what support she would require to study and participate successfully in the exchange experience.

Brown wrote letters and made phone calls to several programs that especially appealed to her. She chose a program at Colegio Mayor in Alicante, Spain because the director, while on a trip to the US, actually called her on the phone. “She was so friendly and welcoming, I said to myself, ‘This is where I want to go,’” Brown explains. That’s when she contacted the Council on International Educational Exchange (Council), the organization that coordinates the program there. “I told them I was a visually impaired student and asked if they could help me,” she recalls. “They were willing and happy to help. They answered all the questions I had.”

Marie alice Arnold, a former Council program officer, confirms that she and Alona communicated frequently and extensively. Arnold has learned through experience with many kinds of students, including other students with disabilities, that open communication is key. Arnold advises that study abroad coordinators start early as they would for all unique circumstances. “It is in no way impossible to accommodate a student with a disability, but there is a lot of preparation that goes into working out details, so lead time is key,” Arnold says.

“It was a fascinating process for me to learn about all the different issues we would need to consider and work out,” Arnold explains. “Alona said she would need mobility training, and I needed to learn what that meant. She talked about needing readers and tutors and about needing a homestay situation where everything would be left in place so she could find it.” Arnold would then communicate Brown’s concerns and needs to the resident program director, who in turn used ONCE, a Spanish disability advocacy group, as an information resource. Forming a relationship with a local disability group was essential to making Brown’s study abroad program a success.

By the time Brown arrived in Spain in January of 1996, everything she needed had been arranged. Her mobility training, provided through a contract with ONCE, went well. However, right after she finished her training, Colegio Mayor began an extensive construction project on campus. It became clear that Brown would not be able to move independently around an ever-changing campus. The program staff pulled together a team of both Spanish and Council students to walk her to and from classes and activities each day. Program representatives also helped Brown secure tutors and readers.

Brown speaks exuberantly about her experience in Spain. “More than once I visited the Alhambra in Granada,” she says. “I count being inside that grand, ancient mosque among the highlights of my trip.” Brown had never been inside a mosque and was moved by its immensity and beauty. Her friends described the colors, shapes and textures. She was also able to explore parts of the mosque with her hands.

Even though the places she went fascinated her, the richness of her experience sprang from the dozens of friendships she cultivated. “In Spain, I made friends with college students, with the cleaning ladies, with professors, with elderly folks,” Brown recalls. “I thrived on interacting with people.”

Brown is convinced that blindness is not a barrier to studying abroad. In thinking about choosing a program, she acknowledges that the choice depends on what one expects, and on what that person feels is necessary to make the experience successful. “Each individual is different,” she explains. “I am a people person. I wanted, sought and gave a lot of attention. I could have requested that my course materials be taped or Brailled, but I would have missed the relationships I formed with my readers and tutors."

As a result of her experience, Brown says that her self-esteem “went up 100 percent.” “Here I was a blind individual, I didn’t know the language that well, I’m older and I’m African American. I didn’t know many of the challenges I would be faced with and I didn’t know if I would be accepted,” reminisces Brown. Her voice rings with pride as she declares, “I did it. I met every challenge, and I was warmly received. Now I have bigger dreams for myself...and the courage to pursue them!”