Defining disability has long been a contentious and polarizing endeavor. For some, the word carries a heavy burden; for others, it's a source of pride. Each person's relationship with the label is as complex, personal, and nuanced as their impairments themselves. There is no single definition, no one size fits all.
But in recent years, our community has agreed to move away from the medical model of defining disability and towards the social model. This new way of looking at the term considers disability as something created by society and the environments in which we live, not by our individual impairments. Disabled people face barriers that stop us from participating in society the same way as non-disabled people. So, instead of wanting to fix us and remove our disabilities, the social model instead stipulates that we fix the barriers themselves.
Ximuwu: Luxury Klaserie Lodge, South Africa
When Patrick Suverein became temporarily dependent on a wheelchair due to back complications in 2017, his world — namely, a 2000-hectare private game reserve in Klaserie National Park, South Africa — became inaccessible to him. He and his indomitable partner Elly then had to ask the very question so many wheelchair users before them had grappled with: “How do you do a safari in a wheelchair?”
A pragmatic problem solver, Patrick began to adapt the game reserve to meet his needs. It was initially for his own benefit, but soon it occurred to him and Elly that others with similar mobility impairments could benefit too. Ximuwu Lodge (pronounced Shi-mu-wu) was born: a five-star lodge and wheelchair accessible safari open to the ambulatory and non-ambulatory public. Like all things forged out of urgency, pressure, and necessity, it is a precious gem just waiting to be unearthed.
Situated inside of the Greater Kruger National Park, Ximuwu is easily reached either by a short flight to Hoedspruit Airport or a six-hour drive from Johannesburg, a detail Elly explained they had considered closely. Many safaris sell themselves on remoteness, but that's a quality they deliberately replaced in favor of convenience. Besides, Elly and Patrick have other more inclusive boxes to tick, the first of which greets me on arrival: wheelchair-accessible transfers. Agasp, I watch on as Matt Porter, the head guide and safari manager, slides open the door of a brand-new adapted green Land Cruiser, wrapped in Ximumu branding that depicts a wheelchair-using lion. He lowers an adjustable swivel seat to my height for me to self-transfer onto.
If this were to be the first sighting of the accessible big five at Ximuwu, the second would be the portable pool hoist, waiting beside the infinity pool. A rare sighting indeed. This was followed quickly by
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You’ve met someone you’re interested in and now you’re looking for the perfect first date. Where should you go? What should you do? Rather than the go-to dining or drinking meet-up, why not get together and go rock climbing, bike riding, canoeing or fishing? A day hike or playing a board game with a beautiful picnic can be a great way to not only enjoy someone’s company, but also, put both parties in an optimistic and open headspace. Participate in an active adventure and discover what interests you both have in common. If you love wild places, hiking, or trail running, likely the person going on a date with you does too.
An unusual nigiri will soon be on offer at Bar Miller, a new omakase restaurant in New York City’s East Village: the humble bluefish, sourced from the New York-New Jersey coast, served raw. “Bluefish has this reputation as being a lesser tier, like a poor man’s fish. But if you treat it with care, it’s incredible,” says Jeff Miller, the executive chef. “When it’s in season, it’s rich, fatty and buttery, with a little bit of subtle tuna iron quality.” Featuring bluefish on a sushi menu is surprising when the city is awash with omakase that, like those in Tokyo, offer prestigious (but unsustainable, according to Seafood Watch) fish like bluefin tuna, Japanese yellowtail and Japanese eel. “Sometimes I think my life would be so much easier If I’d gone that route,” Miller says in reference to the classic omakase menu for which there are standard suppliers. Instead, through trial and error, he built a menu entirely from domestic fish. Bar Miller, which is set to open on Sept. 27, serves San Franciscan anchovies, Hudson Valley eel head trout, and Long Island porgy. (The latter, Miller says, tastes sweet and “super subtle [with] a deep oceanic flavor.”) Miller’s attention to local delicacies extends beyond marine life: The restaurant’s sushi rice is farmed in the Hudson Valley; its sushi vinegar is fermented in Pennsylvania; its soy sauce comes from Connecticut. Even its sake is hyperlocal, fermented in Sunset Park and Bushwick. For Miller, sourcing locally is about expanding on his lifelong appreciation of Japanese cuisine; sustainability is an attendant benefit.
The beauty of New York State lies not just in its landmark attractions, but also in the places in between – the foliage-blanket hills of the Catskills , the serene stillness of the waters in the Finger Lakes and the silent strength of the peaks of the Adirondacks .
The Botswana Tourism Investment Summit aims to spotlight the country as an economic tiger in the making for its untapped tourism and investment opportunities.
A collection of tombs from Korea’s ancient Gaya confederacy, a Viking age ring fortress in Denmark, an ancient Thai town and a 2,000-year-old earthworks in Ohio are among the contenders for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List this year.
The cozy timber-frame lodge of Camp Denali bustled with morning energy just moments ago. Guests chatted with each other, lodge staff cleared the plated breakfast of pancakes with blueberries harvested from the tundra outside, and coffee mugs clinked on the long wooden tables reminiscent of dining together in someone’s home. But now the lodge is quiet. Guests have left for activities of their choosing, from guided naturalist hikes designed for a range of abilities, biking the park road, and canoeing on Wonder Lake to relaxing in their cabins and enjoying the view. It’s a good day for it; the peak of Denali, all 20,300 feet of it scraping the rare clear sky, gleams impossibly through the window like some snow-covered image of myth.
South Africa – with its dramatic coastline, wildlife-filled parks, vibrant cultures and cosmopolitan cities – can be within reach for travelers of all budgets.