As an occupational therapist, I think among the most memorable events during the trip was the wheelchair basketball game where individuals who were wheelchair users and ambulatory participants switched places. I saw that changing of roles more and more as time went on. The individuals who used chairs for mobility tended to leave the chair to sit in regular seats on the bus or at tables or wherever they felt like being. The fully ambulatory participants began to use the chairs to play in; practicing wheelies, to sit in, and when power chair users were driving their chairs, the ambulatory rode on the back. Sometimes, the power chair users towed the manual chair users, up hills for example. Unlike in the rest of the world, it seemed that that chair had no stigma; it was a vehicle that was available for anyone to try. This was especially so during the wheelchair basketball game, where the able bodied were encouraged by the wheelchair basketball pros to try them out and play. The various features of the chairs were discussed and compared between the models owned by the players, and compared to sports chairs. With these athletes, a comparison between a wheelchair and a bicycle was easy to make. They both roll and are useful for sports. They are competitive tools. They were enablers, not disablers. This was very moving to me.
The people were really friendly and warm. In an inaccessible jewelry store, the shopkeeper brought her wares to the street for Lydia to see. I learned to ask. In one restaurant there was a very steep ramp and a security guard helped me push Lydia up and down several times, so that I could take her to another shop to use the only street level bathroom. Most restaurants either had a step up or bathrooms were downstairs somewhere. Bathrooms are very important when you travel, particularly, if you are trying to stay hydrated!
The food was always delicious. I always felt safe. I enjoyed meeting so many young adults from different places, with different abilities and backgrounds.
I was still amazed that I had been in Israel until I landed in NYC.
Some parts of the trip I did not like. I did not like being dropped off for 3-4 hours in a marketplace or dock without directions about the locations of accessible bathrooms. Also, in mid day it was hot and we were very tired at night and being stranded without accessible transportation was uncomfortable and I believe unnecessary. These were minor, although aggravating issues. I would recommend more openness and choices given, as well as better planning about those places.
