DUBAI // James Casaki is packing his passport, sun cream and everything else he’ll need to enjoy his first cruise. The only thing he is leaving at home are his parents.
The artist is part of group of young adults with disabilities who are setting sail to Oman on Saturday as part of an effort to encourage independence and self-reliance. For many, it will be their first trip without their parents.
Over the last week, apart from working with paints, mosaic and sculptures, the 14 artists from Mawaheb, an art studio for adults with disabilities, have been discussing the importance of keeping time, what they will pack and what they plan to do on the five-day cruise.
The youngest in the group of slow learners, students with autism, Aspergers and Down syndrome is 18 years old
“I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise because it sounds like something different so I’m looking forward to it,” said Mr Casaki, who suffers from kabuki syndrome, a rare, multi-system disorder characterised by developmental growth delays and health problems.
“To me, Mawaheb is like my second family, so I can’t wait to go away and I’m confident I can manage without my parents.”
Four teachers and volunteers will accompany the students.
Artist Nazeer Ali sees the trip as an opportunity to look after himself. He describes his autism spectrum disorder as a condition that creates problems “understanding things”.
But he is perfectly clear about why he signed up for the trip.
“It will be the greatest experience for me because I love to explore the sea. It is the most beautiful thing on the whole Earth,” he said.
Parents, too, believe it will build confidence.
“It gives a message to other parents to let them get more independent,” said Casaki’s mother Karen McGinley.
“He is totally excited and can’t wait to leave. Of course, a portion of students can’t ever travel, but for those who can, this is a good sign to parents to let go a little.”
The Mawaheb team has been taking the students out to malls and art fairs since the studio opened six years ago. Some students participated in a field trip to the capital and toured an exhibition.
“When we first started taking them to the malls, that was when they were most fearful about being told to look around and return to us waiting in a coffee shop because many of them had never been left alone,” said art teacher Gulshan Kavarana.
No specific schedules have been set for the cruise.
“It’s not like a school that they have to report to us at a certain time. They looked it up and found that everything was free on a cruise and thought that was really fun,” she said.
The students were gently pushed to take their own decisions, with group discussions focused on what they should pack for evening formal wear, the behaviour acceptable on a cruise line and whether they should take sketch pads on the trip.
“It’s the first time for a lot of them without their parents and these are small steps to help them make up their own mind — whether to go to the gym, the swimming pool or a movie, with some supervision from us,” said Wemmy de Maaker, Mawaheb’s director.
“The trip is about a lot of fun, but also so many learning moments. It’s like a trip you would make with family and friends. Just because they are people with disabilities, why should they not experience the same as everyone?
“It’s about normalisation and integration.”
rtalwar@thenational.ae
