Alphapointe’s annual Adventure Camp creates an inclusive experience for blind youth
"Letting Kids Be Kids" takes on new meaning at this yearly accessibility event.
Photo by Brooke Tramel
At first glance, Alphapointe’s Annual Adventure Camp (AAAC) appears to be a traditional summer camp–different stations full of excited kids doing activities such as swimming, archery, and rock climbing. Every camper at AAAC is blind or visually impaired, participating in a week of community and fun.
“We’re trying to help the campers build confidence and realize that they have everything they need inside of them,” says Scott Cotter, Alphapointe Communications Director. “They need to learn to move into a world that wasn’t built for them and continue to succeed–whatever that means for them.”
Blind and visually impaired youth aged from 9-20 years old come to AAAC from all across the Midwest. Campers can lodge at camp or go home after the daytime activities. The week at AAAC consists of horseback riding, muddy tug-of-war battles, and nighttime bonfires with smores.
18-year-old Pearson from Springfield, MO, is attending AAAC for the first time this summer. Even though it’s only the third day of camp, Pearson has made many new friends. While waiting for his turn at the ax throwing station, he describes his experience at AAAC so far.
Photo by Brooke Tramel
“For the longest time at other camps I didn’t do so well because I have a bone condition and my wheelchair tends to complicate things,” says Pearson. “The staff here have been very adaptive to that, which is more than I’ve gotten in the past. I’m one of the older campers, but it’s been really cool that I can still have the same experiences.”
AAAC began as a result of Alphapointe, a KC-based non-profit company for the blind and visually impaired. Alphapointe offers rehabilitation services to all ages, as well as employing close to 400 blind and visually impaired people.
“One of the things the camp counselors notice a lot about the campers is trust,” says Cotter. It’s an astonishing thing that these kids have no fear, and they have tremendous trust in each other.”
While visiting AAAC, I got to see a blind 9-year-old boy fearlessly climb a rock wall. With cues from the camp counselors down below, he was able to find the next step on the wall until he reached the top and rang the bell of completion. If that wasn’t impressive enough, I also realized he had chosen to climb a more difficult level of the wall.
Most public schools do not have the resources to fully accommodate the basic needs of a visually impaired or blind person, which makes AAAC all the more refreshing for the campers. AAAC also focuses on giving the campers opportunities to build confidence in themselves and to create more connections in the blind and visually impaired community.
“It’s really inclusive, which is the goal,” says Pearson. “It gets people that are visually impaired out in the community to have fun. This camp enables a lot of activities that we wouldn’t have the opportunity to do before.”
All photos by Brooke Tramel
