Sara loves swimming and has always dreamt of swimming in the open sea, but never thought it was possible because of her disability. So, when her SeeAbility support team were talking to her and her family about what goals she wanted to work towards next, there was one thing that really stood out. Ben, one of Sara’s support team in Guildford told us:

“Sara explained to us that she’s always dreamt of swimming in the open sea, but wanted to go to a warm country to experience the sea there. We’d never supported Sara to go abroad before, so we wanted her to experience a shorter plane journey before embarking on a much longer flight to the Mediterranean.”

Sara’s support team were determined to make her dream a reality, but wanted to make sure that the goal was broken down into manageable steps so she could enjoy the experience.

The team got in touch with Sara’s family in Scotland and supported her on a short trip to visit them. They made sure Sara understood what would happen at each stage of the journey, so she was prepared for everything. As a result of this detailed planning, the trip was a success – not only was the flight a positive experience for Sara, but she also enjoyed visiting her family in Scotland too. The Guildford Manager said:

“It all comes down to identifying what works for different people. It’s about being accountable to people we support and what they want to achieve, and then giving them the support they need to achieve it in the best way possible.”

A couple of months later, the team supported Sara to go on her dream holiday to Majorca. Everything went smoothly. Sara was prepared and finally, when they got there, Sara was able to swim in the sea. 

Sara’s support team were thrilled:

“That was a really great moment for Sara and for the team. For someone who has never really felt confident about going on holiday before, to be swimming in the sea for the first time in Majorca was really magical.”