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Nothing was going to stop Richard Clolerly from living out his dream to visit London one day. And after much planning and persistence, he made it to the other side of the pond last month.
“The nerves we had turned into excitement and we felt like we went on the trip with him,” said Nicole Napolitano, Senior Supervisor at the Day Habilitation Program and Residence where Richard lives. “I was up at night watching his plane fly across the Atlantic on my app and we celebrated him every day as we got updates and 400 photos from him.”
The 45-year-old embarked on the solo adventure from March 10-15. Clolerly paid for, and planned, his entire itinerary for the trip by himself while staff at the Newbridge SLU where he lives supported him from afar.
“Without the support of staff and my family, I wouldn’t be able to go on this trip,” said Clolerly. “It was everything I wanted, and I feel great that I did it on my own.”
Some highlights of his first international trip included visits to The British Museum, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, enjoying a full English breakfast, navigating public transportation, and of course the Harry Potter tour – his favorite experience and one he said he would love to revisit when he goes back one day.
“The trip was a tremendous accomplishment for Richard and something he did with so much confidence,” said Napolitano. “We are super proud he was able to break barriers and open opportunities for other people with disabilities to follow suit and achieve their goals.”