Making Sailing Accessible to EVERYONE W O RD S: NIKKI CL A RIN GB O L D | IM AGES: SUKI CHEUN G A ND NIKKI CL A RIN GB O L D
Feature | Making Sailing Accessible to EVERYONE
Sailability Hong Kong specialises in offering the opportunity to sail as a sport and recreational activity, which is not always accessible to all due to a variety of reasons – be it physical disability, mental health issues, learning disabilities or socioeconomic reasons. The team at Sailability are skilled at breaking down the barriers within the community and offering practical support, inspiration, and encouragement to make sailing accessible to everyone.
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s part of celebrating the recent World Sailing inaugural Global Women’s Sailing Festival, with the aim to introduce women and girls across the globe to the sport of sailing via a dedicated weeklong program established by World Sailing, Sailability Hong Kong Co-Founder Kay Rawbone recognised the opportunity to encourage female disability sailors to the sport. Over the 27 and 28 of May 2021, 20 ladies from the Association of Women with Disabilities Hong Kong (AWDHK) were given the opportunity to get out on the water through the assistance of Sailability HK, out of their HHYC base. Kay Rawbone was heartened to see the drive and determination of past wheelchair sailor Leung On Ki, Angel in initiating the outing for the group. Angel had encouraged 19 fellow wheelchair colleagues to attend. While apprehensive about the challenges involved, they were all eager inductees to sailing as part of this worldwide female-based initiative.
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| JUL/AUG 2021 AHOY!
Sailability also specifically sought out and encouraged a stronger female-based volunteer group to be involved for these days. The specific challenges of having female physical disability sailors attending a sailing session for the first time needed to be recognised, as just getting in the boat can be the biggest challenge of the day and can be quite intimidating if not handled with care. Kay noted that having the support of females to help with the delicate manoeuvring of the ladies in and out of the boats on the day, while offering female associated reassurance, goes a long way towards giving these new sailors added confidence to let them enjoy their time out on the water. Instrumental in coordinating the outing for her association, Leung On Ki, Angel of AWDHK expressed her sheer joy in being part of the Sailability Sessions and sharing the precious experience with her colleagues. As a seasoned sailor boasting 18 months experience of sailing within the Sailability community, she explained that encouraging
