Beyond Imagination: Kristin’s Journey to Independence with YHAV

Kristin Slobe loves octopus. If you ask her about it, she’ll smile big and tell you that she thinks
octopus is “delicious.” She first got to sample a grilled octopus dish while visiting me in
Washington, D.C., where I live. My sister Kristin has Smith-Magenis Syndrome, a
developmental disorder that can cause intellectual disabilities, and speech and language
delays, and she lives with my parents in Red Creek, NY. Last month, she was the first
participant in the trial-run of a program called “You Have a Visitor” (YHAV), which brought her
from Syracuse to DC. Through the program, she got to be an active participant in her own travel
and the new experiences that followed, while I witnessed her independence and excitement
created by the new adventure that she enthusiastically agreed to embark upon.

YHAV (why-hav) is a program I’m creating to afford individuals with intellectual and
developmental disabilities opportunities to experience travel and adventure. It’s also designed to
facilitate connections among siblings who live far apart; give Kristin, and others like her, a taste
of the freedom that comes with any kind of travel; and to give siblings of individuals with
disabilities the confidence and sense of relief that no matter where they live, their siblings have
access to them.

Freedom to travel doesn’t come as easily for Kristin as it does for most of us. If Kristin wants to
make the short trip from her home to Syracuse, she has to ask my parents or a family friend to
take her. If she wants to visit me in Washington, DC, she’s always had to wait for my parents to
decide when to bring her. Kristin’s adventures depend upon when others are available and
willing to take her where she’d like to go.

Kristin’s predicament is not uncommon among adults with developmental and intellectual
disabilities. What IS uncommon is to see exceptionally inclusive practices embraced in travel.
Although there are about 19,000 airports in the United States, there are few visible signs of
inclusion in air travel. This needs to change. You Have A Visitor intends to be an agent of that
change by ensuring that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have an
opportunity to experience new adventures the way the rest of us do.

YHAV had its first trial-run trip in August. It was a 3-day adventure for Kristin and an
experienced and trusted traveling companion who accompanied her every step of the way. They
were together from Syracuse airport security to the Washington, DC airport’s baggage claim,
and back again. For the first time in more than 29 years, Kristin had an overnight adventure
without her parents.

Even though we’re in a vastly interconnected world, before Kristin’s trip to DC, she still had to
imagine for herself the restaurant where I love to eat. She would ask me vivid details about my
friends, wanting to know everything from their names and where I met them, to their hair color
and whether they’re a “sweet person.” She wants to be a part of my life, and just like all of us,
she wants to feel included.

With YHAV, Kristin doesn’t have to wait for me to come home, and she doesn’t have to imagine
the restaurants I tell her I eat at, or my friends whose names she only hears about. Now she’s
visited those restaurants and met those important people in my life. Now when she misses me,
she knows that it’s possible for her to visit me in the near future – to be a part of my world. I get
to know, thanks to YHAV, that I can live anywhere and Kristin is only a flight or train ride away,
with or without my parents. YHAV affords these realities to both of us.

Everyone deserves the freedom of inclusion in travel. Everyone deserves to be connected to
their loved ones, near and far. Everyone deserves the opportunities for transformation that come
from travel, whether that’s a 45-minute drive or a six hour flight, and everything in-between.
YHAV intends to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities get the
freedom, connection, and transformation that they deserve.

Travel changes you at a cellular level. When you travel far enough to meet yourself, you are
never the same after the adventure. Your pre-traveler self is a memory; it’s someone you used
to know, and you are a changed person. Travel brought me independence, freedom, new
friends, experiences, food, and most especially, stories. I want Kristin to have all of those things,
and on this last trip to Washington, DC, she got a taste of all of them for herself. Just ask her
about the octopus.

Stay connected with YHAV! We have exciting things planned, and more updates are coming
soon! If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved, please visit
www.youhaveavisitor.com and sign up to receive updates.