The Department of Education and Universities of the Balearic Islands has renewed its cooperation agreement with the Spanish National Organisation of the Blind (ONCE) to strengthen educational support for students with severe visual disabilities enrolled in publicly funded schools across the Balearic Islands. The agreement was signed by the regional education minister, Antoni Vera, at the ONCE Territorial Delegation in the Balearic Islands.
The renewed agreement ensures the continued operation of the Specialised Team for Visual Disability Support (EADIVI), a collaborative structure composed of professionals from both the regional administration and ONCE. This team works jointly to promote inclusive education and to ensure that students with visual impairments receive appropriate educational support adapted to their individual needs.
Educació renews agreement with ONCE to strengthen support for students with visual disabilities in the Balearic Islands
EADIVI guides educational centres in areas such as curriculum adaptation, the development of individualised learning plans and the implementation of specialised support tools and techniques. The team also offers training for education professionals and guides families throughout the educational process of students with visual disabilities.
Under the agreement, the regional education administration maintains five itinerant support teachers, distributed across the islands with three in Mallorca, one in Menorca and one covering Ibiza and Formentera. In addition, the administration is responsible for providing the material resources required for the team’s activities and for equipping schools with the specific tools needed to support visually impaired students.
ONCE contributes four specialised teachers as well as a multidisciplinary team including experts in braille and assistive technology, rehabilitation technicians, social work professionals, psychologists, specialists in deafblindness and experts in educational material adaptation. The organisation also offers complementary services such as educational resource adaptation, digital libraries, rehabilitation programs and specialised support services.
The main objective of this collaboration is to promote full participation and academic development for students with visual disabilities while removing barriers to learning within the education system. The specialised team prepares an annual action plan and a report that documents the needs identified and the work carried out throughout the academic year.
The agreement will remain in force until 2029, with the possibility of being extended for up to four additional years if both parties agree. Cooperation between the regional education authorities and ONCE has been in place for more than twenty years, forming a long-standing framework aimed at ensuring equal educational opportunities.
Through the renewal of this partnership, the Department of Education and Universities reinforces its commitment to inclusive, accessible and barrier-free education for all students in the Balearic Islands.