We spoke with Sarah about her love of travel! Sarah shared some excellent information with us about her recent trip to Ireland, her recommended travel locations and also some accessibility considerations when planning trips.

Hi Sarah, Thank you for spending the time to talk with me today about your travels!

Where was the most recent place you have traveled to?

“We went to Ireland. My family and I, we just went and got back at the end of April. We went everywhere in Ireland, we rented a car and we went to Dublin and went up and around and back to Dublin. We went to Belfast and then we did the Causeway coast and Derry. From there we did a bunch of stops, like we would stay a night or two and then we would see some highlights along the way.

Some of the other places we visited were the Inishowen peninsula, Donegal and the Glengesh Pass where the elevation was high. I didn’t know before we went to Ireland that there were so many mountainous regions. There were a lot of cliffs that we visited. Basically it was cliffs and castles. Then we went to the Mayo coast, also Connemara and Galway and the Clare coast and then there was the Ring of Kerry. We took this trip in 16 days.

What did you enjoy most about this experience?

There were lots of sheep! My favourite was the sheep. There were baby lambs everywhere because it was Spring. There are more sheep than people there.

We got to go to a sheep farm and hold the baby sheep and watch the herding dogs herd the sheep with the different commands. It was pretty cool because the dogs could hear the handlers from very far away and were able to follow commands even though the handlers were speaking in a normal tone. The dogs go into herding mode and create a form of eye contact, which reminds the sheep of wolf eyes. That’s what makes the sheep follow the dogs. The sheep graze all over the island as well as up in the cliffs. They are all covered in different colour spots on their wool and the different colours mean they belong to different owners.”

Have there been any other places you have visited that have been a highlight for you?

“I love going to Europe and we have been to a lot of different places in Europe which is great because it is such a different culture and the buildings are cool. The last couple of years we have gone to the Balkans and the Azores. We went to Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia.

That was a really cool trip because I didn’t know what to expect. Slovenia is so pretty with the trees and lakes, and Croatia on the coast, with the white rocks and waterfalls. We have also gone on different cruises like to Norway. Basically anywhere in Europe is my favourite.”

How do you like to plan your trips?

“Well, my Dad, once he decides on a place, he plans every aspect so we have a booklet that has every day like the accommodations where we are staying and restaurants and grocery stores close by. He could have probably been a travel agent in another life. I like that he is prepared because trips are so out of my routine and I don’t know what to expect. Having everything planned helps with my anxiety so I know some of the things to expect. Then we are less likely to get into a situation where we are lost.

I have mobility issues so he tries to make it less walking for me. When we went to Ireland we rented a wheelchair because I don’t bring mine on flights as they tend to get broken or damaged by the airlines. It’s good because when we go to a place I have time at the end of the day to go relax and rest.

We don’t go out to eat that often, we only go to a couple of restaurants. We tend to go to grocery stores so you can usually find something that is familiar to you instead of just going out to restaurants and being unfamiliar with the cuisine.”

When you are packing, what do you like to bring with you?

“I make sure to bring the different things that will help make me calm so I bring noise-cancelling headphones and different fidgets. I bring things that I like to do like my iPad so I have the shows that I like and I bring art supplies. This last time I brought a mini palette of watercolours and a little pad of paper, then all I need is water.”

What tips would you recommend to other autistic young adults interested in traveling?

“I guess I would think about what you do in your daily life that keeps you regulated and then see what you can bring with you so that you can have access to the same sort of things. For me, every morning I have a smoothie, and I have been doing that for a long time. When I am away I have to think about that. In our checked bag we have a mini blender and I bring my protein powder so then I just need to get fruit at the grocery store.

Plan for lots of time to rest as well so you don’t get burnt out, so to have lots of breaks planned is good.

When you go on the airplane and in the airport, they have accessibility features like for instance, there is a thing called the Sunflower Initiative that supports people with disabilities. It is more popular in Europe but now it is over here as well. You can also request to board the plane before everyone else so then it is not super hectic boarding, you’re already going to be on the plane and settled before other people are going on board. At Pearson they have an accessibility lane so that was cool to see.”

Are there any places that you think are a good starting point for people interested in traveling?

“It depends on what you are interested in. Also, I would probably say choose places that are close distance so the flight will be shorter. If you are not used to going on a lot of airplanes, there are lots of things that you can see on road trips. Also doing something that interests you, because you will probably like it more. For example, if you love nature, probably don’t go to New York City or a big city and I wouldn’t choose to first to fly to Australia but instead go somewhere closer.”

Have there been any companies or organizations that you have found to be particularly helpful to neurodivergent individuals who are traveling?

“There are apps that you can find that people have rated the accessibility of places but it is not everywhere right now. It was not yet in Ireland. By researching different autism-friendly places or say going to Disney land – that is a place that is very disability-friendly and you can get the DAS pass. Of course you have to take into account it is a very busy place.

Doing your research, for example with concerts there are sensory kits but I would do your research for sure. I also discuss this sort of thing with my other friends on the Spectrum to see what their experiences have been. If you reach out to the places that you are considering going to and ask some questions, they are usually very receptive and good at explaining what is available.”

Are there any helpful technology tools you use?

“On social media there are a lot of different accounts that share accessible travel information because that is their interest. I follow a lot of disability advocates on instagram for example, they have a lot of information.”

How do you like to document your trips?

“Lots of pictures, my Mom especially, is very good at reminding me to get lots of pictures. Then what we do, we create a photo book and put into it the different places that we have gone to. We traveled with my Nanna and Pops this time, so we would make them a photo album as well. When I was younger, I used to journal more often. Some people really like journaling so that works too.”

If you could choose one place, is there one dream trip location for you?

“So for places I haven’t been I would say I would love to go to the Netherlands and Belgium. We have been to a lot of places around but have never gone there. Also New Zealand, because there are a lot of pretty landscapes. It’s just that I don’t know if I can do the flight. I think Dad is thinking about our next trip and is looking at South Africa. This sounds really cool but I am not sure if I would go with them. Again I think about the different parts of the trip, like the flight, the food and that type of thing and consider if it will be enjoyable for me.

When I was younger we did a lot of the Caribbean and lots of different road trips across Canada and the US so now I am interested in new places overseas.”

Where are you planning your next trip to?

“Possibly Europe or South Africa, I don’t know for sure. It also depends on the time of year, like if the weather is good but it is not too busy. What I would really like to do would be going to Europe around Christmas time and to go to all the Christmas markets. My Mom and I go to a lot of markets so that would be cool to go to the markets in Europe.”

Article by: Erin Lalande

Thanks Sarah for sharing all of this wonderful information with us, we can’t wait to hear about your next exciting adventure!

Sarah referred to the Sunflower Initiative, for more information about the Sunflower Hidden Disabilities tool visit: https://hdsunflower.com/. AccessNow is an accessibility app which rates accessibility of places around the world (restaurants, hotels, bars and stores) https://accessnow.com/.