Accessibility?

[prettysocks]

If a kid with a physical disability (in a wheelchair, uses crutches or a walker, needs help transferring, needs help with showers, toileting, etc) wanted to come to your camp, how accomadating would your camp be? What's lengths would you go to, to accomadate the child (or would the simple answer be 'no')? What disabilities would your camp accomadate (physical, mental, social)? Is your camp accessible right now (ramps, no stairs, 'access sports', programs for special needs)? Is there certain activities, as your camp is right now, that someone in a wheelchair couldn't do, or with a mental disaiblity would have difficult with?

:cool:

My answers:
I work at a camp for kids with mental and physical disabilities, so these questions don't pertain to my camp!

[Dave]

Our camp is very accommodating to kids with physical disabilities. I know of one kid has trouble walking (he wears braces), and his bunk was given a golf cart to use to get him (and a rotation of his friends in the bunk) from activity to activity. And the advocates at our camp work with physically disabled kids in addition to the mentally disabled.

[Flower]

My camp would be accomodating to a certain point. We are not wheelchair accessible, but we have had girls with physical disabilities to a lesser extent including skeletal problems, arthritis, and strong asthma. The camp has worked to modify their program. All the older girls choose their own activities, so that makes it easy. They've also gotten some special equipment, for example a zip sled for a girl who wanted to be involved with water skiing but had physical problems that made it really hard for her to have enough strength. I believe that the directors would evaluate with the parents what needs the girl has and whether that could fit in with our camp on an individual basis. We have had girls with ADHD and learning disabilities as well. There are some issues that camp will say no to outright such as peanut allergies.

[audur]

We've had kids with various disabilities - both mental and physical - at my camp, and I think it's fairly accommodating, especially for physical disabilities. We've had campers in wheelchairs - not all of our units are wheelchair accesible, but the newer ones are. There's a lot of gravel and hills at camp, so I believe they've been driven around a lot. Many of the programs at camp are suitable for kids with physical disabilities. Some activities may be harder for them to participate in - such as leadership - but the staff will do their best to help them participate in some way. I haven't had a physically disabled camper, so I don't know exactly how those things work. We've also had at least one deaf camper - she had a volunteer interpretor with her.

I've had some kids with mental disabilities, and although camp does it's best to accomodate these kids, I still wish they did a better job. But the counselors aren't really trained to work with them, so I guess it depends on which group they end up in, how their week at camp really turns out. I work at an afterschool program for kids with serious mental disabilities, so the kids I've had in my units at camp - who according to other staff were hard to deal with and not very enjoyable - were awesome to me.

[prettysocks]

There are some issues that camp will say no to outright such as peanut allergies.

As in... You won't accept kids with peanut allergies?! Wouldn't it be easier to say no to peanuts?

[Flower]

No, they won't accept kids with peanut allergies, at least not severe ones. They're worried about the fact that so many things can easily get traces of peanut on them and such, I believe.

[camper]

flower- your camp says no to peanut allergies??? i find that surprising...peanut allergies were one of the first things our camp accomodated. our boys side is completely peanut-free and our girls side is not allowed peanut butter on the tables. the parents are allowed to send up as much special food as they want for their child w/an allergy and they carry epipens around or have them in reach of every activity. they also send detailed letters to the directors and the infirmary of what their child can and can't have. you never even know that those kids have allergies unless we take them off of camp and they have to eat separately from the group. like on a senior trip one of my friends who is allergic to peanuts had to go eat somewhere away from the group b/c we were having hibachi.

anyway, as for being wheelchair accessible...we're definitely not. all of the bunks have steps and stuff to get into them and we're built on a hill. we do have kids with arthritis, epilepsy, severe vision impairments, lung diseases, and severe asthma though who always seem to do fine, its normally 1 counselor's job to always be keeping an eye on that one girl in the group.

we couldn't like i said, accomodate a wheelchair. unfortunately, another thing we say no to is severe diabetes that requires an insulin pump. there's just no way for us to be positive that blood sugar checking every couple of hours is being done correctly. i'm not sure otherwise exactly how far our camp would go in accepting kids w/disabilities.

[Flukie]

At any of our camps, it is expected that the parents and the camping services manager will sit down and talk before the child is registered for any programs at camp. Together, they will decide how accomadating the camp can be and if the program is appropriate for that particular girl. We do have a unit at each residential camp that is ADA accessible. Part of what will be seriously considered is whether the girl can be accomadated with the staff that we have - with 25 girls and 3-4 staff in a unit (max), we cannot be serving only one camper for extended hours of time. But we will do our best to accomadate girls.

This summer we had campers with diabetes, asthma, allergies (including severe peanut), and other illnesses that had to be monitored. We also serve a good number of campers with ADHD, ADD, and LDs. Some of our campers bring emotional issues with them as well.

Our official policy states:

Girls with Special Needs

Patriots' Trail makes every attempt to offer summer camp opportunities to all girls. However, our counselor to camper ratio cannot support campers who need one-on-one attention during activities or in the living unit. Please call 617-350-8335 in advance to determine what we can offer to make your daughter's camping experience one that is appropriate and fulfilling.

[KiwiCRB]

We have had assorted disabilities within the regular units, epilepsy, ADD, ADHD, autism, etc. and those girls always seem to do well for the vast majority of the time. We aren't really wheel chair accesible but we have had girls break/sprain their legs (two best friends, two different summers lol) who came back and we got them around camp with the help of wagons/cars. In the past we have also had sunshine girls which is a unit completely comprised of campers with dissabilities who couldn't be in a normal unit.

[prettysocks]

In the past we have also had sunshine girls which is a unit completely comprised of campers with dissabilities who couldn't be in a normal unit.

What would prevent them from being in a "normal" unit? Why can't they be in a "normal" unit?

[KiwiCRB]

Well these were girls with serious disabilities that need the one on one attention that a counselor with a large group of campers couldn't give to them. If parents think their daughter can handle camp we try and accomodate them.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I have never said no to any camper. I do have the parents come see the camp and what we do before the campers comes to camp. When I was counselor a long time ago, we had a camper with a walker. It was hard for her at camp for the reason that my whole camp is filled with sand. She had a great time at camp and I know that all of the other campers loved her for her high spirit. It might have taken her longer to get from place to place but you could always find a group of campers and staff helping her out!

[Dave]

As in... You won't accept kids with peanut allergies?! Wouldn't it be easier to say no to peanuts?
Our camp has a peanut-free zone for kids who have peanut allergies to eat lunch.

[rockinsmiles]

My camp is definitely not wheel chair accesible but we do have a golf cart for those campers who do get injured and cant walk. I had a girl in my group this past summer who sprained her ankel. We have kids with diabetes, allergies, asthma, bipolar (though i dont really consider these disabilities), ADD, ADHD, and autism. We have probably had more that I am not aware of. During our training we have a class on including campers with "disablities" and such. This past year we also had a camper who was not, ummm, for lack of a better word, where his age "normally" is in developement. He was 14 but put with the 8 year old campers. I dont think this made a difference for him cuz everybody loved him. I dont remember what he had though. So I think to a point that camp will try as hard as possible to let a camper come. However, I think that if the director thought that the child would not get the most from our program that not coming would be advised. Plus we are a week long camp which I think makes a difference as far as planning goes.

[KiwiCRB]

One time for a weekend event there was a little girl that used a walker, she was like 5, but about the size of a 3 year old, and she was the cutest thing ever. She had always outgoing that weekend and never let her disability get in her way if there was anything she could do about it... I haven't seen her since then... i wonder where she is now.

[collissimon]

Hey!

My Dissertation is all about accessibility (but for disabled students to our campus, and beyond physical impairments).

I don't know my camp's policy on accessibility, but I don't see why they would say know. Our population is kids with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties, which ranges a lot of non-visible impairments, but we don't specifically target kids with physical impairments.

They would have to make quite a few adjustments to make it work though. We have no specialist shower units, toilets or sinks, and bunk beds are pretty inaccessible on the bottom or top (though I reckon our maintenance guy would be able to build one!), and we have no hoisting equipment.

We have a really steep hill in the middle of camp, which for someone with a mobility impairment, would be unclimbable. We have a golf cart, which they could probably use. The pool would probably be quite good, as it only goes up to 5 feet, but the lake is enclosed by a floating dock, though I suppose the shallow area could be used.

I think it would be possible, but management would have to know well in advance, and suitable adjustments would have to be made.

[who_stole_my_loofa]

We are very accomodating to campers with food alergies, functioning mental disabilities, hearing imparements, broken bones, diabetes, etc... We have a full time health center staff with a doctor (living in a cabin literally 15 steps from the health center). If a child breaks their bones or fall off their bed in the middle of the night or whatever we are equipt to take them to the hospital if we do not have time to wait for an emergency vehicle(we're like 20 minutes into the mountains and it takes a while for EMS to get there). In terms of mental disabilities- we have kids with learning disabilities, depression, anxiety, even autism and we are well trained to handle nearly any situation- those have never been a problem. We are able to have diabetic campers and hearing impared campers and I even had one last summer who took growth hormone injections everyday. Food allergies are totally fine as well- we have many kids that have peanut allergies- all cabins get 2 tables in the dining hall- some of them have 1 peanut table and 1 no peanut table. So the kids without allergies can eat theirs and not risk like flinging it across the table or whatever. Any dish that has nut products in it will have a thing on the buffet line that says it does. Our camp store has signed up that say what foods are nut free. And we don't allow any food in the cabins- but there obviously always is- the only food that they are actually strict about are foods containing nuts. So nothing like nutty granola or peanut m&m's or Drumsticks(those ice cream cone things).

Unfortunately we are not at all accomadating to wheel chairs. We have a lot of smooth surface walk ways but when it comes down to it- our camp has too many stairs, too many gravel paths and too many hills. Anyone in a wheel chair would not enjoy their experience at camp and obviously would be restricted from many of our activities. We can handle crutches (they are frequent from broken bones, sprained ankles, etc) but it certainly isn't fun for them!

[collissimon]

I suppose the next question is, do you think your should accommodate children or staff with physical impairments?

[prettysocks]

I suppose the next question is, do you think your should accommodate children or staff with physical impairments?

Good question! Also, and I know a few of you have mentioned this, but each summer, how many kids or staff do you see with disabilities (of any kind)? How frequently do you see these kids?

And by the way, just a side note... A few people said they don't consider things like ADHD and depression disabilties... but they really are. They may be minor, but look at the word disability. Think of ABILITY as being a scale.. anything to hinder your emotional, physical, intellectual, etc ability, is a DISability to one. Some people may not know they have a disability, and it may never show, but... Even little things are disabilties.. The word disability doesn't have to be glued to a wheelchair or walker. :) That's my disability activist speech for today.

Anyways, so back to that question collissimon brought up! :cool:

[camper]

collissimon, that's a really good but subjective question. i think that you have to take it on a case-by-case basis. if you assess the situation and see that your camp is safe and suitable for the camper, like you can accomodate the camper's every need, like medication times, food requirements, physical requirements, and still make camp fun for that camper, you should take the camper. if any of those things will be compromised, then you shouldn't.

[audur]

I agree with camper - well said!

Prettysocks - that's a good point you brought up there. During the school year I work at an afterschool program for kids with mental disabilities (some have physical disabilities as well, though) and many people don't realise what that really means - we have kids with Down Syndrome, CP, Williams Syndrome, Autism, you name it... but we also have a lot of kids with ADHD and developmental disabilities - when I tell people about this they go "But that's not serious at all! Why don't they go to a 'normal' school?"... thing is, these are very severe cases, and these kids wouldn't funcion in a regular classroom (or camp - they just would not handle being mainstreamed).

[collissimon]

That's a good point camper and audur, but how do you define what reasonable adaptations can be made for an individual camper?

In answering your question 'socks, our camp is aimed at hidden impairments so they all do! Staff-wise we do have a couple of staff with similar impairments, but these are not usually publicised, other staff only know about it if they choose to tell you.

'socks, I really liked your disability activist speech, and I hope you don't mind me taking it further! I wrote my thesis on disability, and did it from a political POV. There are two models to describe how disability is seen by society. The first is called the Medical/Individual Model. This is where disability is seen as an individual's limitation/imperfection, and it is their responsibility to overcome their disability and try to fit in with society. Society triumphs the few who do, and hold them as examples to the rest.

The Social Model places disability as a form of oppression on a par with being black, gay or a woman. This is because Society has decided on a definition of disability, and sees them as second class citizens, not able to fully participate in mainstream society (Marxist thinkers place this on their reduced ability to participant in the employment market), and need to be placed in alternate institutions. They have a mission to remove the barriers that continue to oppress disabled people.

Sorry turned from speech to a lecture :eek:

[prettysocks]

'socks, I really liked your disability activist speech, and I hope you don't mind me taking it further! I wrote my thesis on disability, and did it from a political POV. There are two models to describe how disability is seen by society. The first is called the Medical/Individual Model. This is where disability is seen as an individual's limitation/imperfection, and it is their responsibility to overcome their disability and try to fit in with society. Society triumphs the few who do, and hold them as examples to the rest.

The Social Model places disability as a form of oppression on a par with being black, gay or a woman. This is because Society has decided on a definition of disability, and sees them as second class citizens, not able to fully participate in mainstream society (Marxist thinkers place this on their reduced ability to participant in the employment market), and need to be placed in alternate institutions. They have a mission to remove the barriers that continue to oppress disabled people.


Interesting information and POV! Thanks!

[audur]

Well, what's "reasonable" has to be decided by that camp's administration. One camp may be willing to hire one person to take care of a camper at all times, while another might not. One camp might be able to provide the medical service needed - others might not. One camp might be able to drive a kid around camp... another might not. Sadly, it all comes back to money, a lot of the time. And also, while I believe that all kids (and adults!) benefit from socializing with all kinds of people, sometimes a kid with a mental disability or behaviour/pshycological problems at a particular camp (that'd be willing to try to meet the kids needs, but wouldn't be sure they could meet them 100%) might threat their own safety or others... I just feel like far too often we're trying to mainstream kids who just aren't ready to be mainstreamed (of course physical disabilities are in many cases "easier" to deal with, but I don't have much experience working with those, so can't really say much about it).

[collissimon]

I think I agree with you audur, money is a major factor in deciding whether a kid can come to camp. I think the camp has to be willing to spend the money and do the job properly, or it's unfair on the child.

Do you think kids with mental disabilities etc. should be included in mainstream camps, or that camps should specialise? (Just as an aside, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this question, but was wondering what people thought)

[prettysocks]

I think both are reasonable. It's obviously up to the child and the parents as to whether the child would be able to handle that. A lot of kids would get frustrated too quickly, with not being able to understand things, or not being up to par with other kids. Then again, there are some very patient kids who, with maybe one-on-one with his/her own counselor, would have a blast at camp! Some kids have never been "mainstreamed" before, so it would possibly be very scary or intimidating for the child to be mainstreamed for the first time, away from his/her parents. And some kids do things like (personal example) Girl Guides, and learn to cope with 'mainstreaming' themselves in that way, 2 hours a week (or whatever). [I had a girl with down's syndrome in my guide unit - she was a sweetie, and the girls were very good at helping her with things.]

Anyways... so.. both! :)

[audur]

Yeah, I think it totally depends on the kid. Some kids with mental disabilities would easily fit in at any camp, especially with extra help, but others just wouldn't handle it. So it should be a mutual decision between the child and parents what sort of camp to choose.

[camplover86]

we couldn't like i said, accomodate a wheelchair. unfortunately, another thing we say no to is severe diabetes that requires an insulin pump. there's just no way for us to be positive that blood sugar checking every couple of hours is being done correctly. i'm not sure otherwise exactly how far our camp would go in accepting kids w/disabilities.

Just to let you know, an insulin pump is not for "severe diabetes" In most cases children with an insulin pump have better control of the disease and would be easier for a camp to handle, than having multiple injections everyday. They do have to check their blood sugar, but no more than a child that is on shots. But if the child is able to handle the insulin pump, they are more than able to check their own blood sugars and have probably done it for a long time.

Just thought i would throw that out there.

[camper]

o yeah camplover86 i know...maybe severe wasn't the right word. the thing is that we couldn't accomodate a 7 or 8 year old (the age most kids start at our camp) who needed her blood sugar checked every few hours, having to make sure it was done in the middle of the night and everything. i know this for a fact b/c one of my camper's younger sisters who has diabetes was discussing coming to camp to start this summer w/my mom and the directors. she needs her blood sugar checked several times in the middle of the night (she's 7 years old) and it would be extremely difficult to ensure that would happen. we're thinking it might work when she gets a little older though.

[camplover86]

Thats cool. Just wanted to make sure that you understood about the pump thing. I totally understand about the blood sugar in the middle of the night, it is a pain. When she gets older it will be a lot easier!