AFB is kicking off our summer recreation series. Throughout the summer, we'll highlight our favorite recreational activities, along with great resources for making the most of the season. First up: We're heading off to summer camp!
Audrey Demmitt, struggling with her own vision loss, spent a summer working as a nurse at a camp for the blind and was forever changed by the experience: "The growth and learning that takes place in a camp setting is invaluable and cannot be replicated. There is often a sort of magical transformation that takes place in a camper. And they leave with powerful memories of being included, succeeding at new activities, tasting independence, and making new friends which can change them forever."
Read more of Audrey's story.
Lauren Lieberman not only created a summer sports camp for children and teens with visual and hearing impairments, she wrote the book on it (literally). Physical Education and Sports for People with Visual Impairments and Deafblindess is available from AFB Press through the AFB Bookstore. You can also read Lauren's expert tips for young campers who are blind or visually impaired.
For parents, sending a kid off to sleep-away camp for the first time can be a nerve-racking experience. Find out how the mother of a child with multiple disabilities got her son (and herself) ready for camp, and what they discovered along the way.
Another mom writes about her experiences preparing her son, who is blind and autistic, for camping in a tent instead of a cabin.
And finally, if you're looking for listings of camps nationwide, check out AFB's Directory of Services for agencies that provide summer/day camps and after-school programs for children who are blind or visually impaired.
Have fun and save us a spot by the campfire!
