INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL OFFERS GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES TO DEVELOP PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY

BY JUSTIN HARFORD

In this increasingly globalized world, greater cultural awareness is valuable for anyone, with or without a disability. Parents can support their child's development of global competence through purposeful travel and international tourism.

I caught the travel bug young when I was in high school. My parents took my brother and me on a business trip with them to Santiago, Chile. We spent about 10 days there, and the experience for me was fascinating. Everyone around us spoke a different language. We visited farms, went to restaurants, and even traveled to Easter Island, while my mom negotiated our way with her limited Spanish. Later, I took advantage of other opportunities for international travel, which included a choir trip to China with my sister, and a tour of Spain with my Spanish class.