Camp Accessibility Is For….
Why do we need to make our church camps and retreat centers more accessible?
An accessible camp communicates that everyone is welcome to this special place where God is encountered through the love of others and the wonders of God’s creation. Having campers with disabilities and variable abilities creates an opportunity for each person to help figure out how each camper can participate in all activities at their own level as part of the group. Christian community is built as all learn to give and to receive the gifts and graces of others so that each participant can belong.
Who benefits from accessibility at camp sites?
Camp Accessibility is for all of us, including:
● Campers with mobility needs, either long-term (a child with cerebral palsy) or short-term (someone with a broken leg or sprained ankle)
● Campers with sensory needs, e.g. low vision, hard of hearing, sensory processing
● Campers with developmental, intellectual, emotional, or learning disabilities
● Parents, grandparents, and guardians who have mobility limitations or sensory needs and who drop off their kids and want to see and experience the camp
● Parents pushing a stroller or rolling a suitcase to help their camper unload
● Counselors and volunteers who have mobility or sensory needs
● Lay and clergy persons who may be aging or have health concerns who attend daylong or weekend retreats – and may have mobility limitations, use a walker or other assistive device, or have trouble climbing steps, walking distances, or managing slopes due to heart, breathing, or weight concerns
● Campers and retreat participants of any age who use power wheelchairs and need ramps, firm paths, and plenty of turning space
● Campers and retreat participants of any age who use manual wheelchairs and need ramps and firm paths that slope gently
● Staff who benefit from less lifting (e.g. using dolly on a ramp versus carrying heavy objects) and are therefore at decreased risk of injury
● Schools who use the camp for Outdoor School purposes and need an ADA compliant setting; other groups and organizations with the same requirement
by Deaconess Lynn Swedberg, Revised 09/03/24