Sofia Pantel del Cueto is a visually impaired activist for the disability community in Puerto Rico. Born and raised on the island, she spent 10 years living on the east coast, obtaining her B.A. and M.A., and working. Sofia and her Seeing Eye dog returned home in 2014 to dedicate herself fully to advocacy work. She founded her own nonprofit, Abre Tus Ojos, and is a board member of 3 other organizations on the island that work with improving conditions for people with disabilities and promoting gender equality.

Participants will be able to:

• Learn, from a first-hand account, some of the strengths and challenges of people with visual impairments in Puerto Rico.
• Explore the difference in services provided in some states versus the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• Learn about some of the organizations serving people with visual impairments in Puerto Rico.
• Open Q&A with the speaker on her personal and professional experiences as a blind young woman advocating for disability rights in Puerto Rico’s third sector.

This session was presented on April 20, 2021 by Sofia Pantel del Cueto.
Captions and transcripts are under production and will soon be available.