OPEN DOORS – EXPANDING INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY
40 low or no cost ways to improve accessibility and inclusion at your camp or retreat center
WELCOME & HOSPITALITY
1. Invite someone who uses a power or manual wheelchair to tour your facility and point out potential obstacles and solutions.
2. Invite someone who is blind to tour your facility and point out potential obstacles and solutions, e.g. trimming back branches that enter the pathway, and making path edges detectable to people using orientation and mobility canes (e.g. using rocks, wood, grass).
3. Post a “welcome to camp” sign that includes directions to the accessible entrance or route of travel, and make sure you have identified and marked an accessible parking space which is level, is at least 8’ wide, has a firm surface, and has space (a 5’ aisle) next to it for unloading. (See Camp Accessibility Mini-Audit handout for full specifications)
4. Identify accessible parking, pathways, entrance, and buildings on your map of the camp grounds and facilities; have copies of the map available near the camp entrance in a waterproof holder accessible from a car window, as well as at the welcome center.
5. Make a tactile map of the camp buildings and grounds. This would be a great Eagle Scout project, and useful for all visitors, not just those with low vision, to help with orientation.
6. Develop a conference-wide non-discrimination policy for camps and retreat centers.
7. Model using person-first language whenever discussing people with disabilities. (See Person First Language article in the handouts)
8. Include pictures of children and adults with visible disabilities in your camp promotion materials.
9. In your registration and recruitment materials, ask what accommodations are needed. This sends a message that you are expecting people with diverse abilities and that all are welcome. (See Minnesota Model handout). Include a statement of welcome and willingness to work out individualized inclusion plans, and follow through on your commitment.
10. Recruit volunteers willing to serve as a 1:1 buddy/ counselor for persons needing more intensive assistance to participate fully. Recruit from college programs for special education, nursing, PT, OT, speech, and recreational therapy. Make sure you include this category in your volunteer recruitment forms and materials. (See Recruiting Volunteers and Staff handout)
11. Recruit camp staff and counselors with disabilities.
12. Involve campers in assisting other campers – discuss the diversity and interdependence of all in the camp community to set the stage.
MOBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
13. Find a person willing to let you borrow and use a golf cart for the week, or rent one, for access in hilly areas and large camps. Be aware this is only a partial solution that works for some people with limited mobility who are able to climb into and out of the cart.
14. Remove a bench or shorten a log in a level area to allow room for a wheelchair within group seating at campfire or morning watch, providing seating next to it so the camper can sit with friends.
15. Fill in any gaps at the base of ramps to cabins or other buildings. Keep gravel swept off of concrete and asphalt pathways – pay attention to transitions between different kinds of surfaces, and to gaps and uneven places. Make repairs as needed.
16. Add a 2” curb to the sides of any ramps that have open sides and no railings, and a 3” curb to paths that have hazardous drop-offs – this keeps wheels from slipping over the edge.
17. When you build new paths, select a firm surface texture and avoid cross slopes. (See Trails and Ramps handout)
18. Arrange furniture in dining or meeting areas to allow a 36” wide path of travel.
19. Purchase or make a set of blocks with indentations so a dining or craft table can be raised if needed to accommodate the armrests of a tall wheelchair.
20. Keep the access pathway clear of obstacles such as folding signs, planters, etc.
21. If your drinking fountain isn’t accessible, install a paper cup dispenser next to it.
22. Install some hooks or closet rods no higher than 40” in the lodge/ dining area, bathrooms and in cabins- these will work well for smaller children as well as for persons using wheelchairs.
BATHROOMS AND SHOWER FACILITIES
23. Install mirror tiles below mirrors that are too high to be used by persons seated in wheelchairs, and place a stack of paper towels and a pump soap dispenser on the counter if the others are too high.
24. Purchase a shower bench for use where needed; maybe a volunteer could find a nearly new one at a garage sale or thrift shop or through the classified ads.
25. Purchase and install a hand held shower (shower head on a long hose) in a shower stall with a level or ramped entrance, and install one or two grab bars in this shower stall. (See ADA guidelines as referenced in the handouts for placement)
26. Replace a stall door in a tight restroom space with a shower curtain; make a door in a narrow stall easier to close by hanging a string to grasp for pulling it closed.
27. Use low-profile rubber matting inside and outside shower stalls to prevent slipping, and install a rubber water barrier dam if needed to keep the water from escaping from the shower stall.
28. Avoid use of scented deodorizers and strong cleaning chemicals – using green products will help people who have allergies, chemical sensitivities, or sensory hypersensitivity.
ACTIVITIES
29. Apply the concepts of universal design when planning activities. (See Universal Design handouts)
30. Teach camp songs with American Sign Language (ASL) signs rather than made up hand motions.
31. Stock books on inclusion and disability awareness in your camp library – both reference books and story books geared for children. (See Resource List handout for suggestions)
32. Use all the senses to reinforce your message and make worship and teaching more dynamic as well as accessible. Plan ways to use touch, smell, movement, as well as hearing and vision.
33. Use pictures, objects, and visual aids when possible to reinforce your verbal messages.
34. Use the “Audio Description” concept to narrate, explain or read actions and materials if you have campers with low vision or difficulty concentrating.
35. Plant a sensory garden featuring plants with interesting scents, textures, and shapes.
36. Have available non-slip shelf-lining for use under dinner plates and craft projects, as well as foam tubing to build up utensils and paintbrush handles. This helps people who have poor coordination or the use of only one hand. Table-top easels, clipboards, and C-clamps are also useful for holding papers in place.
37. Use inclusive language in your table grace – Johnny Appleseed instead of “For health and strength…”; say “rise in body or spirit” instead of “please stand”.
38. Hold skits in accessible spaces, e.g. use the basketball court or the center of the dining room if the stage isn’t accessible.
39. Find a quiet room or corner that can be turned into a sensory room for kids who get overloaded and need a break from the activity. Include soft lighting, a rocking chair, a fluffy blanket, fidget toys for hands that need to be busy, a bean bag chair – but keep décor to a minimum. For an escape from an outdoor activity consider the use of a portable pop-up tent that can be moved from place to place and stocked with a few calming items including a soft air mattress.
40. Use the zoom feature on your copier to make large print handouts.
Compiled by Lynn Swedberg, MS, OTR/L, United Methodist Task Force on Disability Ministries