When the holiday season gets underway, it’s a fitting time to reflect on holiday options for people with disabilities. Access to resorts or facilities may present problems from the outset for many, but there is one thrilling and potentially life-changing holiday option open to all – tall ship sailing!
Good design involves taking account of people’s needs and differences. On the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s square-rigged sailing ships, Lord Nelson and Tenacious, good design enables people who are normally restricted in everyday life to work alongside able-bodied crew on an equal basis, sharing the challenge of sailing these incredible vessels. Both ships have a number of features which make them accessible, without compromising life for the more able. Some of these features have to be built in, for example, doorways wide enough for wheelchair users, low steps and ramps, and lifts between decks. But other features have been added as their need has become obvious, for example, tactile marks on the handrail to point to the bow for the visually impaired, handholds for anyone who needs a bit more help, and a talking compass.
Any sailing ship, but especially a square rigger, relies on a large number of people working together. The entire voyage crew (there are no passengers – everyone takes part in sailing the ships) is organised in four watches of ten, under an experienced Watch Leader. Each watch is on duty for four hours, then off for twelve hours – but there’s still plenty of sailing and other tasks, such as cleaning, maintenance and meal preparation, to be done during those twelve hours! There are also up to ten permanent crew including the Captain, Medical Purser, Deck Officers and Engineers, but the voyage crew sail the ship by helming, being look-outs, sail handling, rope work, etc.
The JST’s mission is to integrate able-bodied and disabled people through the adventure of sailing a tall ship. Since 1986, the JST has taken 35,000 people to sea including18,500 able-bodied people and 16,500 disabled people including 4,500 in wheelchairs. A voyage is a holiday, albeit a challenging and rewarding one. Everyone takes part to the best of their ability. Jobs are designed and allocated to allow everyone to work as a team. For example, when setting a square sail, there will be people on deck heaving on ropes (which all have strange names which people enjoy learning, hence ‘learning the ropes’) and there will be people aloft releasing other ropes and sails. The key is working together to do what needs to be done, so the person ‘tailing’ the rope may be in a wheelchair, working happily with a strong, blind person. The person aloft may be deaf and getting visual signals from below to guide them. It sounds complicated but it works well and a square rigger under sail is a delight for all involved.
The ships operate a buddy system where watch members look out for each other. People with severe disabilities often come with a friend as buddy but many people enjoy the challenge of working with people of different abilities. When sea sickness strikes (which happens occasionally), it can surprise so called ‘able-bodied’ crew to find that their wheelchair-using buddy is perfectly capable on the wheel helming the ship, whilst they are leaning over the rail feeling grim.
The JST uses the tag line ‘Changing lives’ and it really is true. There are numerous testimonials from people (able and disabled alike) whose lives have been transformed by the experience. People learn about working together as part of a team where everyone has a valid contribution, self-reliance and self-confidence. Disabled people also learn about what they can achieve in a well-designed, enabling environment, how they can work with others more or less able than themselves, and how they can develop their own abilities and self esteem. Able-bodied people also learn about what disabled people can do when the environment works, how disability is not usually the most important characteristic of a person, and how to relate to disabled people without being over-protective.
As part of JST’s efforts to secure its financial future, it has started building corporate partnerships with companies like HSBC and Allianz. They have found that the JST’s ships provide a great environment for personal development for all levels of staff – and helping the JST is also good corporate social responsibility. The JST regularly collects statistics on what a voyage does for people, and a recent study of over 750 voyage crew revealed that after a trip 82% understood better what obstacles disabled people faced, and 75% were more confident to work with disabled people. 71% reported an increase in their own confidence (and a voyage usually only lasts a week!).
There are lots of way you could get involved, from going on a voyage yourself, to fundraising, or encouraging your employer to make the JST their charity of the year. Visit www.jst.org.uk.
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