[blindkid] Blind Camps

Mon Jun 7 22:48:02 UTC 2010

Thanks Brandy, you said it so much better than I could.  I was coming from a
parent's perspective and why my son finally had a place he felt at home.
Blessing,
Sue H.

On Sun, Jun 6, 2010 at 4:26 PM, Brandy W <branlw at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> 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
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> (512) 689-5045
>
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>
> ----- 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.
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