Camp For All leaders share ways to create more accessibility, inclusivity
BURTON, Texas (KBTX) – According to the CDC, approximately one in four people in the United States are living with a disability.
That can be an intellectual disability, physical impairment or vision loss among many things.
This is why leaders like those at Camp For All share simple ways people can make their communities more accessible and inclusive.
Camp For All, which is located in Burton, creates barrier-free experiences for children and adults with disabilities. They’re given the opportunity to participate in activities they normally may not be able to including rock climbing, horseback riding and swimming.
Jordan Pugh, the camp’s program supervisor, said experiences like this are empowering for campers.
“I love to see people find new passions and experience new things for the first time because everything opens up for them,” Pugh said.
Although these experiences may not be able to be recreated on a large scale, the camp’s director, Allen McBride, said there are simple ways to create accessible spaces at work and home.
That can include moving items lower on a shelf or closet for those in wheelchairs and constructing ramps to make buildings easier to enter for those with physical impairments.
In addition, the way we speak goes a long way, according to McBride. Person-plus language is used at Camp For All, which is a simple way to show respect and be more inclusive.
For example, they say “people with disabilities” instead of “disabled people.”
“That’s just a really general way to show respect and give that dignity back to people who have challenging illnesses or disabilities,” Pugh said.
Small things like this can also make people feel more connected, according to McBride.
“Really meeting someone based on who they are not what diagnosis or disability they have,” McBride said.
To learn more about Camp For All, click here.
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