For international travel, it is recommended that visually impaired individuals be accompanied by at least two escorts. This made it possible for Bendegúz Pisch, a student from the Faculty of Humanities at PTE, to be accompanied by Csaba Magdali, head of the Support Service, and Márk Macanko, also from the Faculty of Humanities at PTE, to EDUC's first Youth Integration Lab program at Paris Nanterre University in April. The icing on the cake was particularly sweet for two reasons: first, because Márk Macanko is the co-chair of the Social Inclusion College, which focuses on raising awareness, and second, because a friendship developed between the two students. We discussed the conference from a professional perspective with Bendegúz Pisch.
How did you get the travel opportunity, and how long have you known Bendegúz Pisch?
I met Beni two years ago during a brewery tour, and we ended up having drinks together afterward (laughs). At that time, he wasn’t yet a member of the Social Inclusion College. I learned about the Paris EDUC conference from our college's lead teacher, who asked if I would be interested in accompanying Beni. I said, "Let’s go, let's do it." I feel that we developed a great relationship, and I found a kindred spirit in Beni, who has been incredibly helpful in many ways. He has an amazing presence of mind, a phenomenal memory, and is incredibly adaptable considering he has only 1% vision. Beni is a golden person!
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Your friend has already spoken about the professional side of the conference. Did you have time to do some sightseeing as well?
The program took place over a long weekend in April, but we traveled a few days earlier so we would have time for sightseeing. We visited the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle Cathedral, the statue of Saint Michael, Montmartre with the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, and even took a boat ride on the Seine. The Eiffel Tower impressed me the most; it’s a central element of Paris, and you can see the entire city from the top. Besides that, my favorites were Sainte-Chapelle and the Louvre. In the cathedral, we admired the huge rose windows, and at the Louvre, I learned new information about one of my favorite historical figures, Napoleon Bonaparte.
How challenging was it to accompany Bendegúz on Paris’s public transportation?
It was interesting that many French people refuse to speak English! But Paris has excellent public transportation; you can get anywhere at any time, so Google Maps and the iPhone’s built-in maps were very practical for navigating. We had an interesting incident at a metro station! There, you have to insert your entry card into a gate, pass through, and the gate closes behind you. Our routine was for either Csaba or me to pass through first, then insert Beni’s card, guide him through, and the other escort would follow. Once, Beni’s bag got caught in the gate, and he got stuck! We resolved it by taking off his bag, allowing him to pass through—looking back, it’s funny, but at the time, it felt like quite a challenge for all three of us.
Many times, it was literally the blind leading the blind! I’d check where we needed to go, then tell Beni which buses we needed, when, and where to transfer. But I got confused at the first junction, and Beni immediately knew the bus numbers. I checked the route on my phone, and he was right. I haven’t questioned his memory since!
I understand you had a special experience in Paris…
Yes! At the Louvre, our group split up, and while Csaba and Beni tried to explore everything in that massive museum, I dashed across the city to catch the Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain Champions League quarter-final. I’ve loved Barcelona since childhood, but I also hold the Paris team in high regard. It was my first time at a football match, and I have to say, the atmosphere was indescribable—just thinking about it gives me chills! Honestly, when I found out the match would be happening while we were in Paris, I could hardly believe it!
I thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I had to seize it. The ticket was quite expensive, but I knew the experience would be worth it. Barcelona won the match 3-2. About 94% of the stadium was filled with Parisian fans, and it felt odd when I jumped up to celebrate the first Barca goal—everyone around me was French, so I had to tone down my excitement.
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How much of the professional program did you experience?
Although I was just a personal escort, I had the opportunity to participate in the workshops. Beni attended a different workshop to gather diverse experiences that we can use next spring when we continue this program series in Pécs. The workshop I attended had eight participants, and our task was to create a discrimination scenario, something that could occur in today’s modern world.
Our team developed a complex scenario: a Black woman in a wheelchair applied for a job at a major fashion brand, but the company didn’t hire her because they believed fewer people would buy the products if she launched a new clothing line. I think it’s unfair to exclude and isolate people from society, and it would be great to find solutions to these problems.
Originally published: Éva Harka: Jótett helyébe jó élmények. [2024.06.17.]