A special vacation at sea

special education teacher in the public school system in 2007, I heard about the
Buddy Cruise. I was at loose ends looking for something to keep me busy and involved with the special needs community that had been a part of my life for so long. I was on the inaugural cruise in 2008 and have been onboard 5 of the 6 sailings to date (and have my cabin booked for cruise number seven, BC 2014)!
So what keeps me coming back?
I could go on and on about the phenomenal ships and crews, the delicious food and the amazing ports of call but it’s more than that. It’s the families and the children especially the adults with Down syndrome that is the draw for me.
When I started teaching in the 70s we still had state institutions, families were still being told not to take their children home from the hospital. The winds of change were blowing but expectations were still low or nonexistent for individuals with Down syndrome.