Recreation
Summertime and the living is easy. Sort of. When school
lets out many families send their kids off to summer camp or pack up the
minivan and head for the hills. For families of children with disabilities
these activities may require a little extra planning.
Summer camps and recreation programs are available for kids with special
needs, but research is often required to locate appropriate ones and wait
lists are not uncommon. One place to start a camp search is The Federation
of Children with Special Needs, which publishes an annual Summer Fun Directory
(www.fcsn.org). Previously free, the directory now costs $5-$10 (depending
on delivery method) and provides information on over 100 summer camps
and programs. Another helpful resource is Easter Seals, which runs its
own network of day and overnight camps throughout New England (www.ma.easterseals.com).
Massachusetts Family Ties (www.massfamilyties.org) offers information
about recreation opportunities as part of its free Resource Directory.
Information about summer programs can also be found via groups that serve
kids with specific disabilities. For example, local chapters of the Association
of Retarded Citizens (www.thearc.org) often maintain lists of programs
in their areas. Some organizations, like the Carroll Center for the Blind,
sponsor recreation programs. Activity centers, such as YMCAs and Boys
and Girls Clubs, may also offer summer recreation for kids with disabilities,
including Special Olympics classes and Challenger Division Little League.
Costs for camps and recreation programs vary widely, but many offer scholarships
and other support to insure families can participate regardless of income.
Massachusetts offers a bounty of outdoor activities in the summer, from
beaches to biking to boating. Many families of kids with special needs
make creative use of standard recreation equipment or choose from a growing
range of adaptive sports equipment to make their favorite amusements fully
accessible. For example, wearable child locator devices designed for the
mainstream parent market have been used successfully by parents of kids
with autism and other cognitive disabilities to insure that they don’t
wander at beaches or other outdoor locations. For biking with kids who
can’t ride independently, some families turn to widely available
bike trailers and trail-a-bikes, while others find appropriate adaptive
bikes through sites like www.bike-on.com.
If you’d like to try out activities or equipment before striking
out on your own, there are several organizations in and around Massachusetts
devoted to connecting people of all abilities with the great outdoors.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Universal
Access Program (UAP) is a great starting point (www.mass.gov/dcr). The
UAP offers information about accessible DCR facilities, runs accessible
recreation programs (boating, cycling, hiking and more) and provides adaptive
equipment at parks and beaches across the state. Each summer they publish
a brochure detailing the offerings at all DCR locations.
Several programs contract with the UAP to run recreation programs in Massachusetts.
All Out Adventures (www.alloutadventures.org) offers low or no cost programs,
along with adaptive equipment, for activities including letterboxing/geo-caching,
kayaking, canoeing and cycling. Also associated with UAP is Community
Boating, which provides accessible sailing lessons throughout the summer
near Boston. Programs usually welcome people of all abilities, enabling
families to participate together.
There are also independent non-profit organizations that offer outdoor
recreation opportunities to people with disabilities. Outdoor Explorations
(www.outdoorexplorations.org) programs single day and overnight trips
for people of all abilities ages eight and up. Costs vary by trip, but
PCAs are included for free. Northeast Passage (www.nepassage.org), affiliated
with the University of New Hampshire’s College of Health and Human
Services, is another option. And Disabled Sports USA (www.dsusa.org) runs
an adaptive equipment rental program that offers daily, weekly, and bi-weekly
rentals of adaptive cycles, beach wheelchairs, trailriders, water skis,
portable ramps, and more. Costs are roughly $55/week. In addition, it
runs outdoor recreation programs that have hosted people of all ages.
Finally, what summer is complete without at least one trip to an amusement
park? Six Flags New England offers Handicap and MVP passes for families
of kids with special needs. Available through its Guest Relations kiosk
near the main gate, the passes let users enter rides via exit ramps to
avoid long lines that may be prohibitive for some kids. The Handicap pass
covers up to four people and specifies the maximum amount of time they
will have to wait to get on a ride. The MVP pass can accommodate a larger
group (within reason), and guarantees the shortest wait time possible.
Guest Relations also offers a pamphlet listing accessible rides, handicap
attractions, and height requirements for each ride.
While this list of summer recreation options is far from comprehensive,
hopefully it provides your family with a few resources to enjoy your favorite
outdoor pastimes and make your summer living a little easier.
Article by Meryl Perlson, Disability Issues,
Vol. 28, No. 2, Summer 2008
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