[blindkid] Blind Student & The Sighted Band Camp

[Crystal Schumacher]

My son Ben is 13 years old and is in 7th grade. He is blind with light perception. He attends middle school with seven hundred other students. He has an aide in 3 of his classes, Science, Math, & English. His GPA is 3.8. He is in his second year of band and plays the trumpet by ear. He has just recently started learning the Braille music code. He wants to attend a band camp, which is a private camp that we would pay for. If you are a special needs student, you must first get permission from the camp to register.
 
I called and talked to the camp and in the 40 years of existence they have never had a blind student attend. The camp does not offer or is unwilling to provide any additional support. I think the only support Ben would need is in navigating the camp, as it is very large. I have told them that Ben would do orientation and mobility training before the camp starts, as well as create a tactile map, use a Braille copy of the schedule, and a talking watch to get to places on time. They are unwilling to allow Ben to attend without an Aide. I was trying to avoid an Aide because it gets in the place of making friends and Ben wants to be as independent as possible. They said if he had a friend going, who would be his buddy, we may be able to avoid the Aide. He really doesn't have that kind of a friend, more acquaintances. One point of him going was to try and make a friend or connection. 
 
I am wondering if anyone out there has been in this situation. What did you do? Did you go as your child's Aide? Did you hire someone? Did you pay for another student to attend with your child? Did you give up? I have already sent a dozen emails and on top of it his school found out about his desire to go to band camp. They made it a topic during his IEP meeting and wanted input from his teachers as to weather he should be allowed to attend. But mind you, it is a private camp that I would be paying 100% of the tuition, and has nothing to do with public school. Frustrated in Oregon!
 
Crystal