Returning to the Sea: Reclaiming Confidence Through Accessible Travel

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Returning to the Sea: Reclaiming Confidence Through Accessible Travel

For millions of people around the world, travel represents freedom, discovery and connection. Yet for many travellers with disabilities, reaching those experiences often involves navigating obstacles that extend far beyond the journey itself.

Returning to the Sea: Reclaiming Confidence Through Accessible Travel: according to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1.3 billion people—approximately one in six people globally—live with a significant disability. The United Nations and UN Tourism (formerly the UN World Tourism Organization) continue to advocate for accessible tourism as a fundamental component of sustainable development and equal participation, emphasising that tourism should be designed so everyone can travel with dignity, independence and confidence.

While many destinations have made progress in improving accessibility, marine tourism remains one of the final frontiers. Beaches without accessible pathways, boats that cannot accommodate wheelchairs, inaccessible changing facilities and a lack of trained personnel continue to prevent countless people from experiencing the healing power of the sea.

Healing power of the sea

Yet across the world, that picture is beginning to change. From Sri Lanka’s Indian Ocean coastline to the volcanic shores of Hawaii, instructors, dive operators and tourism professionals are proving that accessibility is about far more than ramps and specialised equipment. It is about changing attitudes, listening to lived experience and recognising that everyone deserves the opportunity to reconnect with nature.

Sometimes, all it takes is one moment for someone’s relationship with the ocean to change forever.

Beyond Barriers: When the Ocean Becomes Possible

One traveller described never imagining that the ocean would welcome him again

For years it had existed only as a distant landscape. Very beautiful, powerful and unreachable. Past experiences had left emotional scars that made returning to the water seem impossible. Then, one calm morning, supported by patient instructors and adaptive techniques, he slowly entered the sea once more.

There were no dramatic waves or extraordinary fanfare. Just gentle guidance, quiet reassurance and the feeling of weightlessness replacing fear. In that moment, something shifted. The ocean no longer represented limitation. It represented possibility.

For many people with disabilities—whether physical, sensory, neurological or psychological—that first experience in the water becomes far more than a recreational activity. It is often a rediscovery of confidence, independence and trust.

Unlike many environments on land, water removes gravity’s constant demands. Movements become easier. Balance changes. The body experiences a freedom that many have not felt for years.

For individuals living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression or other invisible disabilities, the rhythmic sounds, controlled breathing and immersive environment of diving or snorkelling can also provide moments of calm, mindfulness and emotional healing.
Accessible ocean tourism is therefore not simply about adventure

A story from Sri Lanka

It is about belonging. Returning to the Sea After Tragedy. Few understand the emotional relationship between people and the ocean better than Shirly Koralage, one of Sri Lanka’s most respected diving professionals. His story is one of resilience.

Shirly began diving in 1991, long before adaptive diving and accessible tourism became recognised internationally. For him, the sea was not merely a workplace—it was part of his family’s identity. Then came the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004.

The disaster destroyed the family’s dive centre, swept away years of hard work and changed countless lives along Sri Lanka’s coastline. The tragedy became even more personal when Shirly’s father, Gyanada Koralage, a respected diver and marine conservationist who had worked alongside renowned science writer Arthur C. Clarke on coral reef research, died from injuries sustained during the aftermath of the tsunami.

He had spent much of his life rescuing people at sea. The ocean had given him purpose. Yet it had also taken someone deeply loved. For many, such a loss would have ended any relationship with the water. For Shirly, returning was one of the hardest decisions of his life. “It wasn’t that the fear disappeared,” he reflects. “But life had to continue.”

With equipment destroyed and livelihoods shattered, the family rebuilt their dive operation piece by piece. Every compressor, every tank and every lesson represented another step forward.

Today, although largely retired, Shirly still returns to the sea occasionally—not out of routine but out of respect. His son now manages the family dive centre, continuing a legacy built not simply on tourism but on resilience, conservation and hope. His story reminds us that accessibility is not always about physical barriers. Sometimes it is about finding the emotional courage to return. Accessibility Begins Long Before the Water.

Returning to the Sea: Reclaiming Confidence Through Accessible Travel

A story from Hawaii

Thousands of kilometres away in Hawaii, scuba instructor and marine educator Kay Cooper has witnessed another side of accessible tourism. Her understanding did not begin through policy discussions or tourism strategies. It began with family.

Her mother-in-law was born without arms and has lived an active, adventurous life. Accompanied by her service dog, she has embraced challenges many would consider impossible, including learning to surf. Yet during a visit to a local beach, Kay realised how many barriers still exist before someone even reaches the shoreline. Parking was available. The ocean was visible.

But the path between them was uneven, difficult and inaccessible.

“It’s something most of us don’t even think about,” Kay says. “We take those steps for granted. Eventually her mother-in-law reached the water’s edge. As the waves gently surrounded her, she laughed with pure joy. Watching that moment transformed Kay’s own perspective. “What felt ordinary to me was something she had to work so hard to experience,” she explains. “It made me appreciate the ocean in a completely different way.”

Kay believes many accessibility challenges are surprisingly simple to solve.

More accessible parking
Smooth pathways
Proper ramps
Clear signage
Beach wheelchairs
Handrails
Thoughtful planning

“These aren’t impossible problems,” she says. “Small changes can make an enormous difference.”
However, she cautions against treating accessibility as merely a legal requirement. “Sometimes organisations are just ticking a box. Real inclusion starts by talking to people with disabilities. Ask them what they need. Involve them in the planning. That’s where meaningful change begins.”

A Growing Global Movement

Around the world, accessible tourism is increasingly recognised as both a human right and an economic opportunity

The United Nations has long promoted accessible tourism under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, recognising access to recreation, leisure and tourism as part of full participation in society.

Meanwhile, UN Tourism continues encouraging governments and the tourism industry to adopt universal design principles that make destinations welcoming for everyone—not only people with disabilities, but also older travellers, families with young children and anyone with temporary mobility limitations. Research consistently shows that accessible tourism benefits entire communities.

Inclusive infrastructure improves visitor experiences
Staff trained in disability awareness deliver better customer service
Businesses reach wider markets
Communities become more welcoming
Everyone benefits
More Than a Holiday

For many travellers with disabilities, an accessible marine experience is never “just a holiday.”

Inclusive infrastructure improves visitor experiences
Staff trained in disability awareness deliver better customer service
Businesses reach wider markets
Communities become more welcoming
Everyone benefits
It may represent rehabilitation after injury
Recovery from trauma
Rediscovering confidence after illness
Overcoming fear
Sharing experiences with family
Or simply enjoying nature without being reminded of limitations

The ocean has a remarkable way of placing everyone on equal terms. Underwater, gravity matters less. Movement changes. Breathing becomes slower and more deliberate. Silence replaces distraction. For many, it is one of the few environments where disability becomes less defining.

Encouragement for Travellers Who Have Been Disappointed Before

Not every accessible travel experience lives up to expectations

Many travellers have encountered hotels that advertised accessibility but failed to deliver. Others have faced inaccessible transport, poorly designed attractions or staff who simply did not understand their needs. These experiences can be discouraging. But they do not have to end your journey.

Experienced accessible travel professionals recommend:

Contact accommodation and tour operators directly before booking rather than relying solely on website descriptions
Ask specific questions about entrances, bathrooms, pathways, transfers, boats and equipment
Choose operators who openly discuss adaptive services and demonstrate experience working with travellers with different disabilities
Read reviews from other disabled travellers through trusted disability travel communities
Consider travelling during quieter periods when staff may have more time to provide personalised assistance
Travel with companions who understand your needs if that increases your confidence
Remember that accessibility is improving every year. Many destinations are actively investing in inclusive tourism because travellers with disabilities are increasingly being recognised as an important part of the global travel community

Most importantly, do not let one disappointing experience define your future adventures. Every successful journey builds confidence—not only for yourself, but for those who will travel after you. Between the stories of Shirly Koralage in Sri Lanka and Kay Cooper in Hawaii lies a shared truth.

Accessible tourism is not simply about entering the water. It is about removing barriers—physical, emotional and social. It is about replacing assumptions with opportunity. It is about recognising that everyone deserves the chance to experience the healing rhythm of the sea. The ocean itself does not discriminate. It welcomes anyone who can reach it.

The challenge lies in removing the barriers we have created between people and that experience.

Every accessible pathway built.

Every adaptive dive programme introduced.

Every instructor willing to learn.

Every destination that chooses inclusion over exclusion.

These are the moments that change lives.

Sometimes the greatest journey is not measured by how far we travel. It is measured by the courage to begin again. And when that moment finally arrives, the ocean no longer asks who belongs.
It simply says – Yes!