Jonathan’s Jolly Old Trip to England & Ireland, Part Three

Jonathan Shuman is a young man who loves to travel the world. He sees the world in a positive, friendly way, and he wants to share his travel recommendations with all of you. This is the final England & Ireland installment of Jonathan’s new travel series, Jonathan’s Jolly Trips.

Tower of London in front of a clear blue sky with a tree to the right.The next day, we went to the Tower of London where prisoners were being held by the beefeaters or Yeomen during the War of the Roses in the mid-1600s. We also took a river cruise along the Thames river, and we saw many famous buildings such as a pub owned by a British actor named Ian McKellen. We also saw the Royal Naval College. We learned about the Greenwich Mean Time – if you go west from this point, you subtract the hours. If you go east from Greenwich, you add the hours.

We packed and we left for our trip back to Chicago the next day. The flight lasted 6-7 hours. On the airplane, I watched two movies: Game Night with Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams and Lady Bird with Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalfe. I had such a blast going to England and Ireland with Search Beyond Adventures. I took lots of photos, and I emailed some of these photos every single day by email to CIF participants and my parents. What I learned about Ireland is that it’s green all around. That’s why Ireland gets its nickname, the Emerald Isle. In England and Ireland, you have to drive on the left side.

Jonathan standing in front of StonehengeI would recommend England and Ireland as a travel destination for the summer. I recommend it because lots of people are happy, drink beer, and are friendly. There are lots of sights and wonders to marvel at. There’s lots of live music to enjoy in London and Dublin.

I would recommend England and Ireland as a travel destination for someone who has a disability because they are bound to have a fantastic time. It’s pretty easy to get around if you have the skills of using public transportation. People are nice and friendly. It’s accessible to get around if you are bound in a wheelchair, and they speak English so there is no language barrier.

Thanks for reading this article and stay tuned for travel recommendations for my next trip to Athens, Greece!

ARC of IL 16th Annual QIDP Conference

ARC Illinois logo, ARC Conference theme is "Unite, Empower, Act"The Arc of Illinois will be holding the 16th Annual Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional (QIDP) Leadership Conference on January 23 in Alsip, IL. This year’s conference will feature John Dickerson, a leader in the field whose key career milestones included the transformation of services in Indiana – the closure of all state hospitals by creating community supports for the people who lived in five state institutions; lowering the waiting list from 12 years to less than 1 year. As a lobbyist and community organizer, he has seen the power of both the individual and those who come together to create change – make incredible progress.

John’s presentation will focus on “Making a Difference” by providing John Dickerson, presenter at ARC QIDP Conferencespecific tools to bring people closer to the people they support, more engaged with the organization, and feeling more supported and better about themselves. Participants will leave with specific, easy to use ideas that they can begin implementing tomorrow. John is the founder and CEO of Quillo, a unique new approach to the workforce crisis facing organizations serving people with disabilities.

Break out sessions later in the afternoon feature topics around Government Benefits, Healthy Relationships and Healthy Sexuality for People with Developmental Disabilities, and Creating Trauma Informed Organizations. Speakers include Sherri Schneider, President of Family Benefit Solutions, Inc., Susan Kahan, a member of the clinical staff at the University of Illinois at Chicago Developmental Disability Family Clinics and Krescene Beck, program coordinator for the Illinois Self Advocacy Alliance.

Arc of Illinois Belief & Mission

The Arc of Illinois truly believes that we are all people first and because of that, regardless of any developmental or intellectual differences, everyone deserves the same rights and opportunities. The Arc regularly hosts events to gather family members, self advocates, and professionals in the field and educate them on the latest and best practices.

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