Free Camp for Physically Disabled Children

Free Camp for physically disabled children - 8 slots open!
August 18 - 21, 2010

They need 8 children to sign up so they can have camp this year! It's totally FREE. You don't need to pay to register.

http://www.campaccess.org/
Camp ACCESS Foundation was established in May of 2002 to provide a summer camp experience to physically disabled children. The camp's stated goal is to introduce our campers to the latest in adaptive recreation equipment (adaptive kayaking, adaptive sailing, hand-cycles, fishing, swimming and other skill building activities such as our "wheelchair obstacle course" designed after the wheelchair obstacle course used at the National Veteran Wheelchair Games). It is our belief that if we can help improve the skill level and confidence of youth with physical disabilities through recreation, then we also help improve their confidence with day to day living skills.

At Camp ACCESS we use Certified Recreational Therapists as Team Leaders. Our Team Coaches are young adult Paralyzed Veterans with demonstrated Athletic skills (medal winners at the National Wheelchair Games, Participants in the "Seattle to Portland" Bike marathon Disabled riders who have ridden their hand-cycles the 206 mile distance over 2 days). Over the 4 days of Camp ACCESS participants are encouraged to expand their personal limits, try new activities and develop new personal skills that will carry over into their day to day living skills. All our staff are volunteers from local communities. We also utilize local high school and college students who volunteer and go through a training program to work one on one with our campers.

The student volunteer's role is to partner with the camper and provide encouragement and assistance with simple care needs (sunscreen application, water, towels etc). These student volunteers also work with our equipment manager to move kayaks and sail boats to and from the water and help set up and maintain the wheelchair obstacle course. We find the student volunteers benefit greatly through their volunteer experience by gaining a better understanding of disabilities. This serves to normalize disabilities within the group and bring our disabled children into a more normalized summer activity environment.

This year camp will be held from Thursday 8/19/10 through Saturday 8/21/10 at Flowing Lake County Park.

Year after year we discuss what we could do to make camp better or to make it different than the previous years. The answer is always "not much." It's awesome just as it is. No one is tired of the experience because most of us only get this experience once a year.Another way we can tell that camp is working is the fact that campers return year after year. Some campers say it's the highlight of their summer! Many camper families have found that the best way to experience camp is to make it family vacation and camp at the Flowing Lake Campground.

To make your campsite reservation click here.This camp experience would not be possible without volunteers and we have great volunteers!! Our able-bodied peer volunteers return year after year and they recruit their friends. We're finding that they are returning even as they enter their college years. It's great to have trusted, experienced volunteers.We're also very fortunate to have the expertise of licensed professionals who develop and implement our curriculum and experienced disabled athletes who lead the activities.

Camp ACCESS provides a great experience with various indoor and outdoor sports such as kayaking, inner-tubing, court sports, fishing, soccer, volleyball, hand-cycling, and air rifles. It also provides an enriching, social environment where you get to meet other kids and adults with disabilities who are living full, productive lives.