« The Americans with Disabilities Act | Main | Mobility Scooters »
Camp Allen
By mobilitytiger | July 25, 2008
In the southern edge of Bedford, Massachusetts lies a very special place. Camp Allen, a camp that was started in 1931 by Dr. Edward Allen, is tucked away at the end of a dusty dirt road in this quiet town. Camp Allen was initially started as a camp for blind girls, but today it has become a camp for children and adults who have disabilities.
The camps director, Mary Constance, says that the mission of the camp changed quickly to provide a positive environment for people with all types of disabilities. The Kiwanis Club of Boston and the Manchester Lions Club now owns and operates Camp Allen.
The camp is very diverse and many people have faithfully been returning to the camp every summer. One camper named Ricky, who has cerebral palsy, has been coming to the camp for 35 years.
Many of the campers are in wheelchairs, but this is not a prerequisite for inclusion. Usually up to 65 campers attend and are assisted by 40 counselors. The counselors, who are mostly young and have little experience with disabilities, come from over 23 different countries to help out at Camp Allen.
The consolers at Camp Allen do everything from shower and bath the campers to tube feeding. In over 5 years not one counselor has left because they could not handle the tasks of helping the campers.
The budget is tight now, but Constance would like to have the cabins winterized so that the camp can operate year round. The dining hall, which is the oldest building in the camp, needs to be rebuilt and Constance thinks that once that is done, everything else will fall into place.
To find out more check out the Camp Allen website.
Topics: health information |