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Disabilities Don't Have to Limit Underwater Activities
In
late January 2006 a group of eighteen people embarked
on a dive trip to Divi Tiara Beach Resort in Cayman
Brac that would forever change their lives. One of the
Caribbean's top dive resorts, Divi Tiara has welcomed
thousands of divers over the years. What made this group
special was that five of the people in the group were
paralyzed and each was making this trip as part of a
dive therapy/disabled diver program for quadriplegics
and paraplegics.
The trip was put together by Englewood, Colorado's A-1
Scuba & Travel Center and Craig Hospital, which
is dedicated to providing care to patients with spinal
cord and traumatic brain injuries.
Although each diver had a different story to tell all
came to the resort with the same ultimate goal - to
experience the adventure and exhilaration of scuba diving
just as any other able-bodied person would. For Tom
Isaac, this trip was especially emotional. Nearly twenty-four
years ago he broke his neck bodysurfing and had not
been back into the ocean since. While on this trip to
Divi Tiara he became certified.
"The only limits we have are the limits we put
on ourselves. Some-body who's disabled can do anything
they can put their minds to."
Dave Farrell took this trip on the one year anniversary
of his injury. Speaking about scuba diving he said "it
gives me the joy that I got out of the other things
I did…I get back to the same kind of happiness
I had before."
For another member of the group, David Hosick, diving
gives him the ultimate freedom - "once you're in
the water, there's no issues of accessibility, there's
no longer steps to worry about."
While this group was particularly special to the staff
at Divi Tiara it is not the first group of disabled
divers the resort has hosted. Divi Tiara along with
its "sister" dive resort, Divi Flamingo Beach
Resort & Casino in Bonaire have been welcoming handicapped
divers for many years, and have developed strong ties
with the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA).
Giving disabled travelers nearly unlimited access to
all resort facilities Divi Tiara and Divi Flamingo offer
handicapped-accessible guestrooms (fifteen at Divi Tiara
and eight at Divi Flamingo) with roll in showers or
tubs with handles and holdbars and doors wide enough
to accommodate wheelchairs, and ramps throughout the
resorts to the dive docks, bars, lobby/front desks,
beach areas, pools, restaurants and the patio at Divi
Tiara.
Additionally the resorts' on-site dive centers offer
wheelchair-accessible custom dive boats and the staff
are specially trained to accommodate disabled divers
and their particular needs.
The
seven other Divi Resorts also offer handicapped-accessible
guestrooms (some facilities are accessible as well).
"Our handicapped-accessible facilities provide
not only accessibility, but also give disabled travelers
independence," said Mark Steward, Vice President
of Sales and Marketing for Divi Resorts. "Providing
the facilities to enable disabled people to dive like
any other able-bodied person sends an important message
that there is really no limit to what they can do. The
five divers from Colorado, in particular, and their
determination to live life to the fullest is an inspiration
to us all."
Located on Cayman Brac, the Divi Tiara Beach Resort
offers a freshwater pool, complimentary use of lighted
tennis court and bicycles, kayaks and water trampoline,
volleyball, meeting facilities, three gift shops and
one restaurant and bar. Its on-site dive center, Divi
Dive Tiara, is a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm dive center.
With its patented hassle free valet-style dive service
Divi Dive Tiara offers daily boat dives, complete gear
handling and storage, instruction at all levels to Nitrox,
five 40-foot custom dive boats and is the "Home
Site of the Nikon School of Underwater Photography," a state-of-the-art full service underwater photo/video
center.
Divi Resorts, the largest Caribbean-only hotel chain,
operates nine resorts on six Caribbean islands including
the Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort & Casino in St.
Croix; Divi Little Bay Beach Resort in St. Maarten;
Divi Southwinds Beach Resort and Divi Heritage Beach
Resort in Barbados; Divi Tiara Beach Resort in Cayman
Brac; Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino in Bonaire;
and Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort, Divi Village Golf
and Beach Resort and Divi Dutch Village Resort in Aruba.
For more information on Divi Resorts
call 1-800-367-3484, or visit www.diviresorts.com.
(Source: Divi
Resorts) |
