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This
listing should NOT
be viewed as an endorsement by The Arc of
Dallas.
We all need social and recreational
outlets in order to enjoy life fully.
This is no different for children and adults with disabilities.
Every year leisure opportunities are expanding.
They range from those which are inclusive (those which include
both disabled and non-disabled peers), to those which are specifically
geared toward certain disabilities.
Below you will find a list containing both types of activities
and programs.
There are a
number of excellent programs available.
Hopefully this will give you a good start in finding the right
one to fit the needs of your child.
If your financial resources are limited and a program which
charges higher fees catches your eye, check on it anyway.
Some programs offer scholarships or can refer you to an
organization which will supplement your contribution to the fee.
In
your community there are several good places to begin.
Contact your local park and recreation department.
Most cities in this area offer activities for people of all
ages and abilities.
Also,
local YWCA’s and YMCA’s offer many classes and camps.
Organizations such as the Girl Scouts, Campfire, 4-H, Future
Farmer’s of America, Indian Guide/Princesses and local churches have
inclusive programs and activities.
If they don’t, work with them to start some.
Also, check on activities offered by museums, zoos, theater
and art groups.
Bachman
Recreation Center -
Offers recreation programs specifically for individuals, ages 6 and
up, with disabilities.
Programs
include: arts and crafts, aquatics, sports, fitness, music, drama,
socialization and outdoor activities.
You can contact the center for additional information regarding
adult day, evening and weekend programs, summer youth and after-school
programs and aquatic exercise and instruction at (214) 670-6266.
Camp
Fire Boys and Girls - A
228-acre site located on the Cordova Bend of the Brazos River, near
Granbury, TX.
Camp El
Tesoro offers a camp session for children with developmental
disabilities.
At Camp El
Tesoro at least three campers with special needs are mainstreamed per
session into cabin groups and camp activities.
Special needs children are matched with a “camp buddy," a
staff member who assists with activities and personal needs.
Be sure to register early in order to complete all the required
paperwork.
Camp sessions
begin at the end of May and run through August.
For more information call (817) 831-2111.
Camp
John Marc -
a
140-acre site in Bosque County, near Meridian.
It has year-round sessions for children with ADD,
asthma/respiratory ailments, autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, diabetes,
deaf or hearing impaired, HIV/aids, muscular dystrophy and spina
bifida.
Sessions last one
week .
Co-ed ages 6 to 16
years of age.
Financial
aid available.
Fee per
week $76-200 for residents.
Activities
include arts and crafts, boating, camping skills, canoeing, horseback
riding, photography, swimming, sports and nature studies.
You may contact them at their Dallas office:
C.A.M.P.
-
(Children’s Association for Maximum Potential) located
on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
In 1989, Exceptional Parent Magazine gave the camp an
award for being one of best summer camps in the nation for special
needs children.
They
concentrate on serving children who have not been served by other
special needs camps. Their goal is to accept each and every severely-involved
child, even if it means the child is discharged from and returned to
the hospital after camp.
Doctors
and nurses from the Base provide staff for C.A.M.P. along with trained
volunteers.
Their motto:
“ No child is too involved to attend."
They provide a 1:1 child/staff ratio.
For more information, contact the C.A.M.P. Program Director at
Lackland, (210) 292-3566.
Camp
Aurora - a day camp run
by the Diabetes Foundation.
Geared
toward children aged 4-12 years of age who have diabetes and their
siblings when spaces are available.
Sessions begin in June.
There
are three camps, one in Lewisville near Lake Highlands Village, one in
Fort Worth and one at Cedar Canyon Dude Ranch in Lancaster. Each
group has a registered nurse assigned to them and a physician is
always on call.
There is
a $35 application fee and scholarships are available for children who
are in need.
For more
information call (888) 342-2383.
Camp
Summit - 117 acres
located in Argyle, 30 miles north of Dallas, is one of the most well-known
camps in the area.
They
offer one-week summer sessions and weekend sessions in the spring and
fall which are scheduled by age and disability.
The camper to counselor ratio is 2:1.
There is an on-site health center with licensed registered
nurses and 24-hour on-call physicians.
Serves children and adults with physical, developmental and
/or multiple disabilities.
Financial
assistance scholarships available. For more information, you may call them at their Dallas
office: (972) 484-8900 or visit their web site
http://www.campsummittx.org/.
Camp
Sanguinity - sponsored
by Cook-Fort Worth Children’s Medical center is for children with
cancer and blood disorders.
It’s
held at Camp John Marc in Meridian, Texas (see above).
For further information, contact the Volunteer Services office
at the hospital: (817) 885-4000.
Elks
Camp - is held on 10
acres in the rolling hills of central Texas between Gonzales and
Luling.
It is open to
children between the ages of 6 and 16 years of age who have
disabilities.
There is a
wide variety of activities to choose from.
The camper to counselor ratio is 3:1.
For further information call (830) 875-2425.
Equest
Therapeutic Horsemanship-
is a therapeutic riding program which offers horseback riding for
children and adults in the Dallas/Fort Worth area who have cerebral
palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, paralysis, traumatic brain
injury, down’s syndrome, vision impairment, mental retardation,
autism, multiple sclerosis, dyslexia, amputation and developmental
delays.
It was the first
therapeutic riding program in Texas and is the largest.
Equest’s first summer camp program is starting this year.
It is primarily a day camp with some evening opportunities for
teenagers and older riders.
The
camp will focus on riding skills, stable management and arts and
crafts.
Sessions run
Tuesdays through Saturdays. Camp begins June 1, 1999 and will run through July 31, 1999.
For more information call (214) 827-7100 or visit their web
site at www.equest.org .
JAF Ministries -
offers
Christian oriented retreat for families who have a disabled loved one.
Retreats are held in several
locations throughout the country every summer and offer a wide
variety of activities which include seminars and workshops.
For more information call (214) 739-2523 or visit JAF’s web
site at www.joniandfriends.org
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S.E.E.K.
- (Summer Events for
Exceptional Kampers) is for children and adults with mental
retardation, orthopedic, visual, hearing impairments, or emotional
disabilities.
Three camp
sessions are offered each summer.
One is for children 9-14 years of age, one is for youth 15-21
years of age, and the third is for persons 21 years of age and older.
To be eligible for S.E.E.K. a child must be at least 9 years of
age. The camp is sponsored by the Methodist Church, though it is
non-denominational.
It is
located near Lake Texoma and fees are charged.
Call for further information (214) 357-5656.
Texas
Lions Camp - is held
each summer near Kerrville, Texas.
The camp focuses on children that have asthma/respiratory
ailments, cerebral palsy, diabetes, epilepsy, hearing impairment/deaf,
mobility limitations, speech and communication impairment, spina
bifida and visual impairment or blind.
Camp sessions begin in June and end in August.
Sessions last one week.
Camp
serves both boys and girls who are between the ages of 7 and 16 years
of age.
Transportation
and financial aid are available.
The fee per week for residents is $75.
Activities include archery, arts and crafts, swimming, camping
skills, drama, horseback riding, music, riflery and nature/environment
studies.
For more
information please call (830) 896-8500.
Texas
United Cerebral Palsy-
offers two camps in April and October.
For more information call (512) 472-8696.
Trips,
Inc. Special Adventures -
provides
safe, respectful and fun travel outings for developmentally-delayed
travelers who require staff assistance.
Chaperones are school teachers, counselors, residential care
providers and parents.
Chaperones
help travelers with their medications, managing their money and
personal care. Average staffing ratio is one chaperone to every three or
four travelers.
Call
(800) 686-1013 to get additional information on the travel packages
available.
Water
Tower Theatre -
Act
II Summer Musical Theatre Camps
- are for young people ages 6-18.
Camps last from 8am to 5pm daily and will culminate in a
production on the Water Tower Theatre’s mainstage with four
performances by the students.
For
more information call (972) 450-6229.
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