[blindkid] Blind Camps

[Brandy W]

Hello all,

I know this is a tough subject for many, but I think that camps for blind 
children play a huge positive role in a child's life and path to success.

Many of you know me personally, and you know my parents did not allow me to 
be blind in the category of you can't do it because you are blind. I was to 
use my cane, read Braille, and do all the typical age activities that my 
friends did. I went to Girl scout camps, church camps and more, but I went 
to camps for blind children too. I remember looking forward to those blind 
camps. I was picky and researched what ones I would try to go to, and yes 
that was my job. My mom didn't pick the camps for me. Camps for blind 
children were a safe place where I didn't have to explain Braille, or why I 
needed a cane. I got adjendas in Braille, songs for camp fire time were in 
Braille, rules were posted in Braille, and if I needed a Braille writer one 
was usually available. When it was time for art I wasn't given a coloring 
page and printed instructions. If I happened to be sick there was probably a 
Braille book to read. Now I'm not suggesting that the only camp one attends 
if for blind people, but I am suggesting that the child have 1 of their 
summer experiences be with blind people. Only other blind people know how it 
is best to apply make up with out seeing it, and what is your technique for 
swimming in the lake, and navigating new places. It is at a blind camp where 
a child can say recess has been real tough what do you do with friends on 
the playground? And just how do you deal with the cafeteria line? We have 
something in common. So just as one may want to a camp for music or theater 
a blind child should be expected to possibly be interested in a camp for 
blind children. It is at a camp for blind people that one can learn what to 
expect so when they go to a camp not prepared for blind children they have 
an idea how they can be one of everyone else using their blindness skills 
and having a great time.

Hope this helps some.

Bran

"Families that play together learn together!"
Brandy Wojcik
Discovery Toys Educational Leader
Check out our new spring line perfect for spring time learning and Easter 
baskets and more...
www.playtoachieve.com
(512) 689-5045

Discovery Toys wants to be a part of your family's learning success and here 
are a few ways we can help:
* Join my team and receive 18 award winning products for $125
* Host a fun get together with friends and earn free Educational products,
* Purchase award winning educational materials on my webpage,
* Purchase or get free gift baskets for children of all ages


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Susan Harper" <sueharper at firstchurchgriswold.org>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 5:03 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Blind Camps


>I have to disagree.  I felt the same way until I took my son who had no 
>arms
> to a camp for children with physical disabilities.  He came home a and 
> said
> that was camp.  Finally someone like me.  Our son felt isolated in the
> reverse.  He was always included in everything, playing soccer and Little
> League.  He was also class president in 5th grade.  He is a now married 
> and
> drives a car.  Another parent of a child with a disability once told me I
> didn't do a very good job of teaching my son about his limitations.  He 
> has
> no limitations, other than those imposed by society.  He loved that camp
> because he had a haven where he could be himself and everything for once 
> was
> adapted and he didn't have to work so hard and he could "be with other 
> kids
> like me!"
>
> I am a parent of a blind child, but my most important job is parent.  I 
> too
> have had to learn to do things differently, as many of you have.  I am
> always so glad when I can talk with someone who is going through what I am
> and we can compare notes get information and learn from each other.  That 
> is
> what our children who have disabilities need too.  They need a place to
> learn and practise skills that they want to have to be able to function in
> the world, without everyone seeing them fall (use metaphorically).  A camp
> for blind children is great to provide that place of camaraderie, 
> learning,
> sufficient supervision, a break for the parents (Yes, we need one too!) 
> and
> just to be themselves without having to worry about what everyone thinks.
> It can be a special place of belonging.
>
> I too be there are many more perspectives on this.
>
> Blessings and stop to smell the roses!
> Sue H.
>
> On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 9:17 AM, Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com> wrote:
>
>> As per usual, this is just my opinion, and anyone can take it or leave 
>> it,
>> and I am sure that several will leave it, but...  Camps or activities
>> exclusively for blind children can be a good tool under certain
>> circomstances, but they can premote social isolation if not treated with
>> care.  For example, a one week block out of your child's summer is enough 
>> to
>> premote perspective and foster meaningful friendships and networking 
>> tools
>> between blind children and teens, but a month long camp that would take 
>> the
>> place of an ordinary summer camp is a very bad idea.  Your child's 
>> friends
>> should be his or her friends because they both love soccer or horses or
>> music or swimming, etc, not because they are both blind.  You would never
>> segragate all hispanic kids into one camp, all white kids into another, 
>> all
>> Asians into another, all black kids into another, etc.  You would never
>> tollerate your child being grouped based on something like that, and
>> replacing instead of supplementing regular camps can be quite 
>> problematic.
>>  I have one very good blind friend as an adult, and a few blind
>> acquaintences that I bounce ideas off of from time to time, but the rest 
>> of
>> my friends are sighted.  They are my friends because we all love music, 
>> or
>> dogs, or children, or have similar spiritual beliefs or artistic 
>> tallents.
>>
>> It is good for your blind child to see blind children less successful 
>> than
>> them who are sheltered or struggling, because they can gain confidence
>> helping these kids to reach where they are, can realize how much more
>> functional they are by comparison and this combination of perspective and
>> positive impact on others is very good for the social growth and self
>> esteme.  Additionally, they are exposed to more socially advanced blind
>> children who help them in turn, give them something to strive for and
>> provide resources for everything from social emotional to accademic and
>> technological issues.  Much of the tech training I got was not from 
>> parents
>> or blindness professionals, but from blind acquaintences at camp who I 
>> could
>> email or call for advice and help.  And, I did make two good friends, one 
>> of
>> whom I lost touch with, one of whom I did not, who also provide emotional
>> support and are a true friend.  But, it must be noted that she and I are
>> friends because of common interests, not common experiences, because of 
>> who
>> we are, not because we can't see.  Cancer is a common experience for
>> children at certain camps, but this is a good foundation for venting
>> frustration, expressing fears in a safe environment, sharing advice, etc, 
>> it
>> is not a basis, in and of it's self, for meaningful long-lasting
>> relationships.
>>
>> After about five days of "blind camp" I was bored out of my mind each 
>> year
>> and I started to cause trouble, teasing the less able blind kids who made 
>> me
>> late for activities, who made me miss out on others entirely, who 
>> distroyed
>> my property and generally agrivated me.  Give me a break, I was seven 
>> when I
>> started going.  After a few years I met two girls who had no multiple
>> disabilities, who were not sheltered and who wanted to compare pets at 
>> home,
>> not canes, who wanted to talk about the stories they were writing, not 
>> their
>> Braille Lights or Braille Notes, who wanted to talk stratagies for 
>> acquiring
>> boy friends, not stratagies for acquiring guide dogs.  lol  We did 
>> compare
>> notes on blindness related products and experiences, but that was not the
>> main focus, and most of our friendship was carried on over the internet, 
>> on
>> visits to one another's houses and over the phone.  And, if your child 
>> uses
>> the blind camp, as adults use a workshop, convention or simposium, then 
>> they
>> will be all set.  If they are relying on this to be the only place of 
>> social
>> interaction, then there is a big problem waiting to happen.
>>
>> It is undoubtedly easier to interact with other blind people who can't
>> critisize your outfit, who express emotions with words, not just body
>> language, who don't see if you pick your nose, who understand all of the
>> adaptive things you use and don't burden you with questions every time 
>> you
>> unfold your cane or open up JFW, but the real world is not easy, and it
>> never will be.  Working to meet sighted people on equal terms, not to
>> impress them per say, but to meet some of the social norms is a good 
>> thing.
>>  It stretches us and makes us aware of things we might otherwise have
>> neglected.  If a child becomes too reliant on blind friends for social
>> interaction then they stop trying with sighted peers, and by the time 
>> they
>> are in high school and their peers are ready to recognize their
>> intelligence, wit, creativity, etc and seek it out, the blind teen is
>> already out of the social loop to an extent where they can't reintigrate.
>>
>> I have had many experiences where I brought a blind acquaintence with me 
>> to
>> a play, a concert, a party, etc and they hardly talked to the sighted
>> person, made several faux pas, and my sighted friends tried to include 
>> them,
>> but eventually gave up because of the ackwardness.  No, making friends 
>> and
>> maintaining relatiomnships isn't easy for any teen, but for one who has
>> begun isolating in childhood because of exclusive camps or activities, 
>> used
>> in access, it is ten times harder.  So, no, I am not against camps for 
>> blind
>> children, if they are recognized for what they are and utalized as such.
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/sueharper%40firstchurchgriswold.org
>>
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blindkid:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/toys%40playtoachieve.com