Cruise Holland - It’s Accessible!

By Lisa Bendall

Twenty Southern Ontario residents will never again think of Holland in terms of tulips and windmills. Holland, with its charming villages, warm people and beautiful seascapes, has found a way into their hearts.

One such person is Catherine Smart, Coordinator of Camp and Recreation at the Ontario March of Dimes and the leader of the group on their two week sailing excursion in the Netherlands.

"I strive to provide all sorts of different opportunities for persons with varying abilities," says Cathy.

Cathy was contacted almost two years ago by a representative from the Holland Tourist Board. This representative sent her information about a ship, the Lutgerdina, a 110-foot double-masted clipper, accessible to people with disabilities.

At the time, Cathy was in the midst of organizing a trip to Nepal. However; the description of the ship caught her attention because of her own experience as a sailor. Several months later, Cathy was visited in Toronto by a man named Jan Olijve, a Dutch travel agent and tour guide who had been referred to her by the Holland Tourist Board. He wanted to tell Cathy more about Lutgerdina. Jan had been trying to interest American travel agents in an adventurous tour package which included sailing on the ship and staying on an island owned by a Dutch agency which works with people with disabilities.

Cathy’s trip to Nepal was only a month and a half away, but Jan had sparked her interest. She approached the Ontario March of Dimes, which supported the idea. Just before she left the country, Cathy put together a flyer to try and attract participants. Upon returning to Canada, 15 people had already applied for the trip!

At departure, September 5th of this year, the group included 11 participants with disabilities – eight of them wheelchair users, – as well as five attendants and two other able-bodied people.

They arrived in Amsterdam early in the morning and were relieved to see a familiar face: Jan boarded the plane to meet them. He stayed with the group for the rest of the trip.

Jan brought them to the ship immediately, where their number increased to 25. In addition to Jan, the crew consisted of the skipper, two mates and a chef.

"The crew were fantastic...just amazing people. They were energetic; they were young; they had good ideas and they were really interested in getting to know us," said Torontonian Audrey King.

Audrey, who had polio as a child and now uses a wheelchair, was pleased with the ship’s accessibility. "I thought the design was quite good."

In the cabins, the upper bunks could be fastened up against the wall to save space while someone transferred onto the lower bunk. Audrey also described the spacious bathrooms, the wheelchair lift and the large dinning tables.

Participants unpacked in the cabins in groups of two, four, or six. "I wasn’t exactly sure how the group would work," said Cathy. "There was a huge age difference (from 20 year to 62 years), lots of different backgrounds, and lots of varying personalities. But I just had the faith because I knew the majority of the folks who were coming on the trip. I had a pretty good feel that the group would work."

The group was given the opportunity to tour Amsterdam. "I had no idea how accessible Holland was for people with disabilities, and especially for persons who were wheelchair users," said Cathy. "All the transportation was accessible... It was just fantastic! We went everywhere!"

Two days later, the ship set sail to the North Sea. Cathy described their voyage to the open water, pointed out that if it weren’t for the dikes, Holland would be completely underwater. They had to go through two dikes before they could reach the North Sea.

"We had an incredible night sail. There was a full moon. Very few of us had ever experienced this before. It was so exciting to see everyone’s reaction. It was such a beautiful evening."

The ship spent the next few days sailing past small towns. Participants stopped to tour the communities and meet the villagers. "Everyone was so friendly. They were really interested in our group and hearing about Canada. There was a tremendous amount of sharing going on," said Cathy.

Many individuals were non-sailors but they were offered organized sailing lessons. Every member of the group was encouraged to take part in the mechanics of sailing, regardless of ability or disability.

Marilyn Noell wrote in her journal about the group meetings where "the skipper, Auke, informed us about our possible choices of destinations and routes. This participation in planning as well as the daily routines of dishwashing, potato peeling etc. created a powerful sense of integration, not only of the group from Canada, but of the Dutch crew."

Most seem to agree that the high point of the trip was the day the ship anchored at a shallow place in the North Sea and waited until the tide went out: this is referred to as "falling dry". The crew put a ramp down and everyone literally walked around on the bottom of the sea. "The first astronauts on the moon may have felt some of that same exhilaration," wrote Marilyn Noell.

"Of course the tide came in as quickly as it goes out," laughed Cathy. "We raced to get everybody back on the ship. Watching the water come in was an exceptional experience. That was a very special time. It was very spiritual, actually."

Audrey described peaceful moments spent "at the top of the sea", sitting alone on the deck while the setting sun spreads colours across the clouds. "You feel like the world is miles and miles below you. It’s sort of like an out-of-body experience... It’s like a real feeling of disconnection with anything physical."

After a day and a half on the North Sea, the group sailed back to fresh water. The second last night on the ship, participants held a "thank you" gathering for the crew.

"That was a very important part for me, as the leader, to see," Cathy said. "Everyone in the group participated in doing something... setting the table, or putting a tray together. It was very much a group gathering.

The group left the Lutgerdina to see the Floriade, the largest flower show in the world. It is held only once every ten years. Although the show was beautiful it was a long day. "It was very hard on the group, leaving their home, as well as leaving their ship to which they had become very close," remarked Cathy

Participants were so emotional about the change that they held a group discussion that night on Robinson Crusoe Island. The situation sorted itself out, however, and everyone enjoyed their three full days on the island.

"It’s an island of water sports for everyone," said Cathy. "Everyone either got involved with kayaking, canoeing or small boat sailing. It was unbelievable!"

Several people had the opportunity to do things that they had dreamed of all their lives. Cathy pointed out, "These are people who are very involved in their communities, and live and work on their own."

There is a real lack of opportunity to do such things in Canada, Cathy has noticed. "In Holland you ask somebody to do something for you – not a problem. In Canada there’s always the liability issue. You can’t avoid that, but you also have to have faith in yourself. You have to have faith in the group you are working with. Be safe about it. These people were very clear and very safe."

Soon the group prepared for home.

"It was a really fantastic learning experience. This was definitely a first for a group of Canadians, and also a first for the Dutch. It was very exciting."

Ines Colabrese is very positive about the experience. For her, though, it was more than touring another country; Ines became more aware of people in her own community.

Ines was the first person to apply for the trip who did not have some involvement with disability. Her experience in this area had been minor. She feels now that her awareness has broadened.

"I think everyone should be in a situation where they can experience something like this," she said. "Now I don’t look at people with wheelchairs, canes or walkers, with fear or pity."

Ines believes that the experience took away a lot of things that you know are wrong. When you feel pity for someone, you know it’s wrong. You’ve either read it, or on another level, you’re feeling that it’s wrong but you can’t really express why." She now understands that "it was basically a fear based on not knowing."

"It became the cliche... I didn’t see the disability any more; I saw the personalities," added Ines. She often was surprised to discover that once she did get to know the personalities, she connected with some persons better than others.

Ines summarized with an analogy that beautifully reflects her attitudinal change.

"The wheelchair is like walking shoes, in that it just facilitates in you getting around."

Now the group is back in their home and native land, and Cathy Smart has received much feedback about the trip. "Most people are just in awe of what they went through. I think that’s the primary reaction.

"I feel really accomplished for the group," said Cathy. "I understand that the people had an exceptional experience, whether they know it or not. But the majority of people realize that they were involved in something very unique."