GENERAL DISABILITIES - Camps for the Disabled 

2023 West Ogden Avenue

Chicago, Illinois 60612

(312) 243-8400

The National Easter Seal Society operates about 50 camps (some of them year-round) across the country for children with various disabilities, from birth defects and cerebral palsy to blindness and mental retardation The camps are staffed mostly by specially trained college students who are majoring in health fields. The activities offered vary from camp to camp, depending upon the particular needs of the campers, and range from photography to rock climbing. Three of the Easter Seal camps offer computer training programs established in collaboration with IBM. Spokesmen for the Easter Seal Society said that mainstreaming is encouraged for children who, in the staffs estimation, can handle a regular camp. In addition, some Easter Seal camps offer "reverse mainstreaming" in which children who are not disabled are invited to participate. The idea is to increase the able-bodied children's understanding of the disabled while helping the disabled children make friends among the able-bodied.

One week vacation programs at Sargent Camp in Southern New Hampshire's Monadnock region are offered for persons with disabilities. The camp, operated by Boston University's Human Environment Institute, contains 850 acres of forests and fields, a 60-acre pond, floating bog, the Nubanusit River and more than 20 miles of trails for hiking and environmental studies. Accommodations are provided in rustic cabins with accessible showers and bathrooms. Guests use accessible dining and meeting places, enjoy flexible programming, and meals and are assisted by a qualified professional staff and a full-time registered nurse. Contact: Sargent Camp, Windy row, RFD #2, Peterborough, New Hampshire 03458, (617)353-3202 or (617)525-3311.

American Annals of the Deaf (April 1984 issue), 814 Thayer Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. Price $14.00

The American Lung Association, 1740 Broadway, New York, New York 10019. Prefers that children with asthma attend regular camps, but has set criteria for the operation of camps for children with asthma, available from the association.

The American Academy of Allergy and Immunology 611 East Wells Street, Milwaukie, Wisconsin 53202, (414) 272-6071

The Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation, 2025 Eye Street, NW, Suite 1011, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 659-5136. Maintains a nearly complete list of camps for children with cancer.

2 Park Avenue

NewYork, NewYork 10016

(212) 683-7444

The summer camps for children and youth with diabetes listed below are either approved or sponsored by their local American Diabetes Association affiliate. Many affiliates also hold day, family, and teen camps. For a free Camp Directory, write to the Youth Services Department at the above address.

Alabama: Camp Searle Harris (202) 533-5775

Arizona: Camp AZDA (602) 995-1515

Arkansas: Med Camp at Camp Aldersgate (501) 225-1444

California: Bearskin Meadow Camp (415)731-5113; Camp Chinnock (213) 381-3939; Camp De Los Ninos (408) 287-3785; Camp Ideal (916)455-4111.

Colorado: Camp Shady Brook (303) 778-7556

Connecticut: Camp Adaca-Hazen (203) 236-1948

Florida: Florida Camp for Children and Youth with Diabetes (904) 392-2708

Georgia: Ross Stevens Camp (404) 486-2112

Idaho: Camp Hodia (208) 336-6829

Illinois: Adventure Camp for Teens at Convenient Point Camp, Triangle D Camp for Children with Diabetes (312) 346-1805; Camp Gran-ADA (217) 422-8228

Indiana: Camp John Warvel (317) 352-9226

Iowa: Camp Hertko Hollow (319) 366-6884

Kansas: Camp Discovery (800) 362-1355

Kentucky: Camp Hendon (502) 589-3837

Louisiana: Camp Wambansee, Camp Whispering Pines, Lions Camp (504) 927-7732

Maine: Camp Sebago (207) 892-3749

Maryland: Camp Glyndon (301) 486-5515

Massachusetts: Clara Barton Camp (girls) (617) 742-2100, ext 361; Elliott P. Joslin Camp for Boys with Diabetes (617) 732-2455

Michigan: Baycliff Health Camp, Camp Midicha (313) 552-0480

Minnesota: Camp Needlepoint (612) 920-6796

Missouri: ADA Summer Camp (816) 361-3361; Camp EDI(Exercise, Diet, Insulin) (314)968-3196; Camp Hickory Hill (314) 443-2447

Montana: Camp Diamont (406) 761-0908

Nebraska: Camp Floyd Rogers (402) 551-2662

New Hampshire: Camp Carefree (603) 228-1116

New Jersey: Camp Nejeda (201) 383-2611

New Mexico: Camp Triple D (505) 898-7410

New York: Camp Hagoo (716) 847-0200; Camp NYDA (212) 944-7899; Rochester, New York Sunshine Camp (716) 271-1260

North Carolina: Camp Eagles Nest for Children with Diabetes (919) 446-1108

North Dakota: Camp Sioux (701) 746-4427

Ohio: Camp Hamwi (614) 486-7124; Camp Ho Mita Koda (216) 564-5125; Camp Ko-Man-She (513) 220-6611; Camp Korelitz (513) 221-2111.

Oklahoma: Camp Kno Keto (405)842-8839; Camp O'Leary (918) 492-3839

Oregon: Gales Creek Camp (503) 282-0931

Pennsylvania: Camp Firefly(215) 627-7718; Camp Louise (215) 867-6660; Camp T. Frank Soles (412)647-2323; Harrisburg Diabetic Youth Camp (717) 652-8874

South Carolina: Camp for Children with Diabetes (803) 799-4246

South Dakota: Kiwanis Camp Haunz (605) 342-3722

Tennessee: Camp for Diabetic Children (615) 267-7129; Camp Hopewell (901) 452-1155

Texas: Camp Sweeney (817) 665-9502; Lions Camp for Children with Diabetes (800) 392-6440, ext 2538; West Texas Rotary Camp for Diabetic Children (806) 743-2322

Utah: Camp Utada (801) 486-4989

Virginia: Camp Holiday Trails (804) 977-3781; Camp William R Jordan for Children with Diabetes (804) 786-0494

Washington: Camp Orkila, Camp Sealth (800) 628-8808

West Virginia: Camp Kno-Koma (304)345-8716

Wisconsin: Camp Sidney Cohen (414) 963-5145

Wyoming: Camp Hope (307) 265-5865

LEARNING DISABILITIES:

Summer camp directory for children with learning disabilities, 1982,50 p., $3.00. 4156 Library Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15234. Association for Children with Learning Disabilities. Comprehensive listing of camping opportunities throughout the United States for learning disabled children

VISUALLY IMPAIRED:

National camps for blind children, 1982, free, Christian Record Braille Foundation, 4444 South 52nd Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506. Listing of camps operated by the Christian Record Braille Foundation, an institution of the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists.

The following organizations have wilderness camping adventure trips for disabled individuals.

Outdoor Living Experience

625 North Norton

Tucson, Arizona 85719

Environmental Traveling Companies

Fort Mason Center, Building C

San Francisco, California 94123

(415) 474-7662

Blind Outdoor Leisure Development, Inc.

B.O.L.D..

533 Main Street

Aspen, Colorado 81611

Colorado Outdoor Education Center for the Handicapped

P.O. Box 697

Breckenridge, Colorado 80424

(303) 453-6422

Courage North Camp

Courage Center

3915 Golden Valley Road

Golden Valley, Minnesota 55422

(612) 588-0811

Minnesota Outward Bound

P.O. Box 250

Long Lake, Minnesota 55356

(612) 473-5476

Vinland National Center

3675 Ihduhapi Road

Loretto, Minnesota 55357

(612) 479-3555

Wilderness Inquiry II

2929 4th Avenue South, Suite 0

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408

(612) 827-4001

The Guide to Summer Camps and Summer Schools, Porter Sargent Publishers, Inc., 11 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 01208. Price $15.00.

American Camping Association

5000 State Road 67 North

Martinsville, Indiana 46151

Publishes an annual "Parents Guide to Accredited Camps" available by mail for $8.95 including postage The association accredits camps that meet standards for people "with special needs." The standards were devised in collaboration with the Easter Seal Society. The association also offers a free referral to parents who want to place their children in camps and to adults, 18 years and older, who want to work as counselors. You can call this Select-a-Camp referral service to determine your child's needs. For a fee they will want to know: what states, what kind of program, boy or girl or coed camp, top camp fees you will pay, length of time, and age of camper. They feed this information into their computer. You will be sent a list of up to 10 camps that meet your specifications along with a copy of the ACA guide. Each camp on your list will be asked to send you additional information. Cost: $18.50. (800) 428-CAMP.

Residential Camps, Leimonas, M., 1983.

Summer Camps, Ross, J., 1980.

Bibliography of Special Needs Camps, Pirko, S, 1983.

Information Center for Individuals with Disabilities, 20 Park Plaza, Room 330, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.