Blind teen denied accommodations at camp

[Deleted]

This showed up on my Facebook feed and got me thinking about discussions we've had here about responsibility of the parents vs that of the institution. My take on this is that:

• we only have the family's perspective
  
• The new director is at fault if he really didn't discuss this with the family beforehand or understand that this kid had been coming for years
  
• If the needs of the kid really were taking up too much staff time and energy, then the kid could not remain. However, I think a solution involving dialogue between family and camp could have been arrived at.
  

Why My Blind Son is Returning from Camp Ramah in Canada a Month Early
Filed under: Accessibility and Inclusion,Ethics - The Embodied Torah of Jewish Behavior — Rabbi David Krishef @ 9:23 pm
Tags: Accessible, Blind, Camp Ramah in Canada
My almost-16 year old blind son, Solomon, was supposed to spend 8 weeks in the second-oldest Aidah (age group) at Camp Ramah in Canada, a Jewish camping program affiliated with the Conservative movement. My wife and I went to visit him and our 12 year old daughter this week. While there, the camp director told us that he was sending Solomon home four weeks early at the session break because “the camp is not able to accommodate Solomon’s needs for the full 8 week session.”

This is Solomon’s fifth year at camp. Sol went for one session each summer for the previous four years, but this year, called the “Magshimim” year, required campers to enroll for the full summer. Solomon was thrilled to go for both sessions. He loves camp, and for the first four summers, it appeared that Ramah loved Solomon and was completely willing to assign extra staff and arrange for some Braille materials so Sol could participate fully in the camp program. There were some rough spots. Camp staff did not always do everything they could have to ensure that Sol had the proper materials and was fully included in every activity, but we were confident that the director was committed to full inclusion, and neither we nor Solomon let the small things bother us very much.

This summer, a new director took the helm just a month before camp started. He didn’t know Solomon and we didn’t know him. Nevertheless, we assumed that the camp’s prior commitment to accessibility and inclusion would be maintained. We were wrong. Part of the Magshimim summer is a five day overnight camping trip. Although the overnight has three tracks for kids of varying levels of fitness and ability, the counselors, Rosh Aidah (unit head), Yoetzet (advisor/parent liaison), and camp director met and decided, without consulting with Solomon or with us, that they didn’t have the staff to accommodate Sol on the camping trip. Further, they also decided that they couldn’t continue to accommodate Sol for the second four weeks of camp. Ultimately, the final decision to remove Solomon from camp rested squarely on the shoulders of the new director, who decided that the camp was not willing to either hire an additional staff member or redirect a small amount of current staff time to helping with Solomon’s special needs.

Among the reason he gave for sending Solomon home early was that Sol takes too long eating his meals and showering, and requires help moving from activity to activity, which he also does very slowly. He also suggested that the Magshimim program requires moving around camp and engaging in camp activities independently, something which is nearly impossible for a blind camper with no vision to do. Note that at no time did the Yoetzet (advisor/parent liaison) bother to contact us regarding these issues. Had she asked, we could have given her some simple solutions for speeding up Sol. Also note that while it is standard procedure to include 15 year old students with special needs in discussions of their public school Individualized Educational Program, the camp held all of these discussions about Solomon without including or consulting with Solomon.

The first thing that Solomon told us when we saw him on the first day of our visit was that he wanted to return to camp next year, and that he would do anything and give up anything, including a possible trip to Israel tailored to blind students, for the opportunity to return to camp for his final summer. Our conversations with the director took place at the end of the second day of our visit, while Solomon was on a one night overnight with 8 other campers, who also had not gone on the 5 day overnight. We told the director that he had to tell Solomon why he was being sent home from camp early and why he would not be given the opportunity to return to camp at all the following year.

On the final morning of our visit, we sat in the director’s office as Solomon heard the news from the director. Solomon was brilliant. After saying that he was heartbroken at hearing such totally unexpected news, he saw through the holes in the director’s flimsy explanation of why he needed to go home and asked the same question that Marisa and I had asked the night before: “The camping trip is over – what is happening in the second four weeks that would be difficult for me to participate in?” There was no real answer to that question. The director’s explanation boiled down to a statement that the camp is not willing to devote the resources to continuing to include Solomon fully in the program. During our conversation the previous evening, I had challenged the director’s lack of commitment to inclusion – he kept using the language of “not able to fully accommodate Solomon’s needs,” and I got him to admit that the honest answer was that the camp is no longer willing to fully accommodate Solomon’s needs. Solomon knew immediately that it was a case of “not willing to,” rather than a case of “not able to.”

I should note at this point that the Camp Ramah system, consisting of nine camps, has a special needs program called “Tikvah.” Each camp specializes in a subset of special needs, such as ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, learning, emotional, and developmental disabilities, neurological impairments, and physical challenges. Solomon, while blind, does not fit into any of these categories. He attends a public college preparatory high school and with minor modifications, completes the regular curriculum.

The major part of my Jewish identity was formed at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. I loved Camp Ramah, and because of that my children went to Ramah. This director has betrayed the values of the Jewish camp that I love. The Conservative movement is on record supporting accessibility and inclusion in our institutions. Camp Ramah in Canada is now on record stating that if you have a physical disability and need greater support than the “typical” camper, they will not devote the resources to fully include you in their camp program. You might say that this is not true – they devoted the resources to giving Sol a terrific half summer, it’s just that asking them to accommodate him for the full summer is expecting too much. To this, I say ask Solomon if being the only camper asked to leave camp early, not being able to participate in the full overnight or in the second half of the program, not being able to celebrate the final banquet with his friends, is enough. You can guess what the answer is – being half way included is not enough.

After that painful meeting, sitting in the dining hall with Solomon eating breakfast, I watched the campers sing and dance to a contemporary version of a teaching of Rabbi Akiva:

“Love your neighbor as yourself – This is the fundamental principal of Torah.”

If I didn’t laugh, I would have started crying again. The camp can sing and dance all they want about loving one’s neighbor, but until and unless they back up the words with action, Camp Ramah in Canada will be a place that Rabbi Akiva would be ashamed to be associated with.

[Deleted]

Poor Solomon. That's all I got.

[wawa]

If he has no other special needs besides being blind, I really don't understand why so much staff time we needed to accomodate this kid.

My BFF in high school was blind and 99% if we were doing some sort of special activity where she couldn't get around with her cane (field trip, assembly, etc) one of her friends (usually me) would just guide her. I'm really confused why they couldn't work with him.

Unless he's a little dick and none of the kids were willing to help him. But really it just seems like the director is an idiot.

[emilyj]

I feel really bad for this kid. But there also seems like there's something missing from this story. If there were issues, why weren't the parents contacted before the director decided to dismiss him? If he couldn't do the 5 day overnight trip, why couldn't he stay for the remaining 4 weeks?

The director sounds like a dick, but there also seems like there's a few holes here.

ETA: Here's something that's missing for me: Does Solomon need an aide/assistant in his every day life? Does he need one for school, to get around, etc? If not, then why would he need one at camp?

[princesscal]

Perhaps the camp had the resources in previous years, but not this year. Also, he didn't do the extended program in the past, so it is different. I agree with their issues. However, I do think they should have given the family the option for them to hire their own assistant/aide/whatever to assist him at the family's expense and then let him stay.

[AJL]

Solomon's picture is still up on the camp website in the "About" section, under "eligibility."

[UMaineTeach]

I really don't think it should have been a big deal to include Sol in the camp and if you did it for 4 weeks, it would only get easier in the next 4 weeks. Also, clearly he doesn't need a full time 1:1 and if the only issues are eating slowly and showering slowly then wake him up early, seat him early at meals, and let him bring food to activities.
Sounds like they already had access to the Braille materials he needed.

Jul 19, 2012 9:48:10 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

I should note at this point that the Camp Ramah system, consisting of nine camps, has a special needs program called “Tikvah.” Each camp specializes in a subset of special needs, such as ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, learning, emotional, and developmental disabilities, neurological impairments, and physical challenges. Solomon, while blind, does not fit into any of these categories. He attends a public college preparatory high school and with minor modifications, completes the regular curriculum.

Not that I am saying he as to go to a camp for children with special needs - but is being blind not a physical challenge? wouldn't he fit in there?

[AJL]

Jul 19, 2012 10:49:36 GMT -5 UMaineTeach said:

I really don't think it should have been a big deal to include Sol in the camp and if you did it for 4 weeks, it would only get easier in the next 4 weeks. Also, clearly he doesn't need a full time 1:1 and if the only issues are eating slowly and showering slowly then wake him up early, seat him early at meals, and let him bring food to activities.
Sounds like they already had access to the Braille materials he needed.

Jul 19, 2012 9:48:10 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

I should note at this point that the Camp Ramah system, consisting of nine camps, has a special needs program called “Tikvah.” Each camp specializes in a subset of special needs, such as ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, learning, emotional, and developmental disabilities, neurological impairments, and physical challenges. Solomon, while blind, does not fit into any of these categories. He attends a public college preparatory high school and with minor modifications, completes the regular curriculum.

Not that I am saying he as to go to a camp for children with special needs - but is being blind not a physical challenge? wouldn't he fit in there?

But he had been attending for FIVE years in the regular program. Why dump him now?

[Deleted]

[/quote]
Not that I am saying he as to go to a camp for children with special needs - but is being blind not a physical challenge? wouldn't he fit in there?
[/quote]

Yes, it is a special need, but the special needs branch of the camp sounds like it deals with disabilities that tend to have a cognitive aspect to them--the activities would be completely inappropriate for him.

[UMaineTeach]

Jul 19, 2012 10:52:20 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

Yes, it is a special need, but the special needs branch of the camp sounds like it deals with disabilities that tend to have a cognitive aspect to them--the activities would be completely inappropriate for him.

I took the 'each camp specializes in a subset' to mean that there was a separate camp for each diagnosis and since 'learning disabilities' and 'neurological impairments' were already in their own camps that maybe the 'physical impairments' camp was for kids who have no cognitive problems.

But I agree, they shouldn't dump him and it has clearly been fine in the past. I was just wondering if he would have been able to fit into the other camp, not that it should be his only option.

[pamela]

I think the parents should have had a conversation with new director and advisor/parent liason when he registered for camp. But the director appears out of line here unless there is significantly more to the story than is told here (like wawa mentioned, maybe he isn't cooperative with typical accomodations).

[mominatrix]

Jul 19, 2012 10:51:05 GMT -5 AJL said:

But he had been attending for FIVE years in the regular program. Why dump him now?

BINGO!


Honestly, they've been accommodating him.

Legally (I know, the laws in Canada are probably different, but bear with me here)... they're required to accommodate unless they can show that it's an undue burden.

How can they possibly show that when they've been accommodating him for five years, no problemo?

[wawa]

Jul 19, 2012 10:41:00 GMT -5 emilyj said:

I feel really bad for this kid. But there also seems like there's something missing from this story. If there were issues, why weren't the parents contacted before the director decided to dismiss him? If he couldn't do the 5 day overnight trip, why couldn't he stay for the remaining 4 weeks?

The director sounds like a dick, but there also seems like there's a few holes here.

ETA: Here's something that's missing for me: Does Solomon need an aide/assistant in his every day life? Does he need one for school, to get around, etc? If not, then why would he need one at camp?

Something like a camp where you only go for a few weeks in the summer vs. school where you go every day it's much harder to manage alone as a blind person.

When we moved from middle school to high school my friend spent half her summer with her aide learning her way around the high school. Then every year she had to get her schedule a few weeks in advance so she could memorize the locations of her classes. So she was totally independent for most of the school day, but it only worked because it was a set routine. She also had her own house memorized (obviously) and eventually learned her way around my house well enough to go the bathroom without a guide - but she needed a guide to get from my house to the barn for example.

And at school even with all that advance prep, she still needed a guide for lunch. Since the cafeteria was wide open there was nothing for her to follow to get in line or find a table. So I would guide her through the lunch line, and then get her settled at a table.

For somewhere like a camp where I imagine you are following trails from activity to activity or cutting through fields, instead of following nice predictable hallways or sidewalks it's pretty much not feasible for a fully blind person to manage alone. If he lived there year round he's probably be able to learn his way, but not for a summer camp. The only thing that would make it easier is if he had a seeing eye dog, but he'd still have to memorize the entire path network. the dog would just keep him on the trail, it can't tell him which way to go. And AFAIK, most of the time you have to wait until you're a little older than a teen to be matched with a dog. My friend had to wait till after high school.

But really - again - one of his fellow CAMPERS could be helping him with stuff like this. IME, getting from place to place is by far the biggest challenge for a blind kid. I'm having a hard time imagining why the actual activities would be that far outside his abilities.

[wawa]

Not really related, but I'm very curious what hebrew looks like in braille. Does it have it's own braille alphabet? Or is it tranlated phonetically into English Braille? Hmm.

[Deleted]

Re-campers helping him--major insurance issue. Kids cannot be held responsible for accommodating other kids.

Re--accommodating him for five years--I think they said that this year in particular was different. You run that risk in a program, and it makes sense that each year would require more independence from kids.

Also, at least in this country, private institutions are not required to make accommodations for kids with IEPs.

[wawa]

Jul 19, 2012 11:49:08 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

Re-campers helping him--major insurance issue. Kids cannot be held responsible for accommodating other kids.

Re--accommodating him for five years--I think they said that this year in particular was different. You run that risk in a program, and it makes sense that each year would require more independence from kids.

Also, at least in this country, private institutions are not required to make accommodations for kids with IEPs.

Obviously a staff member would have to step in occasionally, but are you seriously telling me that it is an insurance issue when you have a pack of kids being sheparded from one activity to another by a single adult for one of those kids to be guiding another?

REALLY?

the world is a weird fucked up place.

[mominatrix]

Jul 19, 2012 11:35:45 GMT -5 wawa said:

Not really related, but I'm very curious what hebrew looks like in braille. Does it have it's own braille alphabet? Or is it tranlated phonetically into English Braille? Hmm.

Like everything else, there's a wiki for that!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_braille

[wawa]

Jul 19, 2012 11:51:25 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

Jul 19, 2012 11:35:45 GMT -5 wawa said:

Not really related, but I'm very curious what hebrew looks like in braille. Does it have it's own braille alphabet? Or is it tranlated phonetically into English Braille? Hmm.

Like everything else, there's a wiki for that!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_braille

Of course there is. I love the internet.

[Deleted]

Jul 19, 2012 11:51:21 GMT -5 wawa said:

Jul 19, 2012 11:49:08 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

Re-campers helping him--major insurance issue. Kids cannot be held responsible for accommodating other kids.

Re--accommodating him for five years--I think they said that this year in particular was different. You run that risk in a program, and it makes sense that each year would require more independence from kids.

Also, at least in this country, private institutions are not required to make accommodations for kids with IEPs.

Obviously a staff member would have to step in occasionally, but are you seriously telling me that it is an insurance issue when you have a pack of kids being sheparded from one activity to another by a single adult for one of those kids to be guiding another?

REALLY?

the world is a weird fucked up place.

The official accommodation cannot be a kid helping another kid. That can't be "the plan". There has to be an adult assigned to oversee his care. Even if the parents were okay with a kid doing it, I wouldn't take the risk as the camp director.

[mominatrix]

Jul 19, 2012 11:54:32 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

Jul 19, 2012 11:51:21 GMT -5 wawa said:

Obviously a staff member would have to step in occasionally, but are you seriously telling me that it is an insurance issue when you have a pack of kids being sheparded from one activity to another by a single adult for one of those kids to be guiding another?

REALLY?

the world is a weird fucked up place.

The official accommodation cannot be a kid helping another kid. That can't be "the plan". There has to be an adult assigned to oversee his care. Even if the parents were okay with a kid doing it, I wouldn't take the risk as the camp director.

...but it's been working for five years.

What's changed?
Is the camp suddenly afraid the parents are going to sue because the informal accommodation, THAT'S BEEN WORKING SUCCESSFULLY FOR FIVE YEARS isn't formalized into a plan involving staffing?
Are they afraid they're going to be sued because the kid's having a good time at camp and wants to stay?

[Deleted]

Jul 19, 2012 12:09:19 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

Jul 19, 2012 11:54:32 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

The official accommodation cannot be a kid helping another kid. That can't be "the plan". There has to be an adult assigned to oversee his care. Even if the parents were okay with a kid doing it, I wouldn't take the risk as the camp director.

...but it's been working for five years.

What's changed?
Is the camp suddenly afraid the parents are going to sue because the informal accommodation, THAT'S BEEN WORKING SUCCESSFULLY FOR FIVE YEARS isn't formalized into a plan involving staffing?
Are they afraid they're going to be sued because the kid's having a good time at camp and wants to stay?

Momi, what we don't know are what other activities requiring more supervision of this kid might be in store for the following weeks. Programs change from year to year, and no, you cannot put children in charge of other children, especially one with special needs. There needs to be an adult on the hook.

Look, I'm with you on the "this was handled exceedingly poorly" front. And it sucks that the kid got sent home in the middle of the summer. But, we can't sit here and pretend that it's impossible that circumstances changed mid-summer that made it impossible for the kid to stay.

[wawa]

Jul 19, 2012 12:09:19 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

Jul 19, 2012 11:54:32 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

The official accommodation cannot be a kid helping another kid. That can't be "the plan". There has to be an adult assigned to oversee his care. Even if the parents were okay with a kid doing it, I wouldn't take the risk as the camp director.

...but it's been working for five years.

What's changed?
Is the camp suddenly afraid the parents are going to sue because the informal accommodation, THAT'S BEEN WORKING SUCCESSFULLY FOR FIVE YEARS isn't formalized into a plan involving staffing?
Are they afraid they're going to be sued because the kid's having a good time at camp and wants to stay?

this is my train of thought.

I'm repeating myself here, but from the limited information we have here I see two possible scenarios:

1. the director is a dickface or just super weird and paranoid. he sees this kid as a possible liability - either in terms of finacial outlay or possible legal liability, and doesn't want to continue to expend the extra effort to accomodate him.

2. The kid is actually a terror. Teenaged boys are often assholes. They've been able to accomodate him in the past, but after 4 weeks the entire staff wants to strangle him and none of the kids will play with him. In order to stave off a bigger problem the director just sent him home with the "accomodations" line rather than tell the parents that their preshus is a spoiled little asshole.

Honestly both seem equally likely when you consider that the entirety of the information we have comes from the parents. Except that the kid says he wants to stay, which wouldn't jive with the "nobody likes him" scenario unless he's just contrary as hell.

[Deleted]

Jul 19, 2012 12:16:09 GMT -5 wawa said:

Jul 19, 2012 12:09:19 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

...but it's been working for five years.

What's changed?
Is the camp suddenly afraid the parents are going to sue because the informal accommodation, THAT'S BEEN WORKING SUCCESSFULLY FOR FIVE YEARS isn't formalized into a plan involving staffing?
Are they afraid they're going to be sued because the kid's having a good time at camp and wants to stay?

this is my train of thought.

I'm repeating myself here, but from the limited information we have here I see two possible scenarios:

1. the director is a dickface or just super weird and paranoid. he sees this kid as a possible liability - either in terms of finacial outlay or possible legal liability, and doesn't want to continue to expend the extra effort to accomodate him.

2. The kid is actually a terror. Teenaged boys are often assholes. They've been able to accomodate him in the past, but after 4 weeks the entire staff wants to strangle him and none of the kids will play with him. In order to stave off a bigger problem the director just sent him home with the "accomodations" line rather than tell the parents that their preshus is a spoiled little asshole.

Honestly both seem equally likely when you consider that the entirety of the information we have comes from the parents. Except that the kid says he wants to stay, which wouldn't jive with the "nobody likes him" scenario unless he's just contrary as hell.

Both of these situations are possible. I'd also be interested to hear what the camp had to say. I understand changes in policy come with changes in regime, but I would have hoped that they would have spoken with the parents beforehand.

[cole]

Jul 19, 2012 11:54:32 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

The official accommodation cannot be a kid helping another kid. That can't be "the plan". There has to be an adult assigned to oversee his care. Even if the parents were okay with a kid doing it, I wouldn't take the risk as the camp director.

This. I've worked as a camp counselor for a few years at a camp for kids and adults with physical and developmental disabilities. With the amount of training required (even basics such as CPR and food preparation), it's a huge liability to have children "in charge" of helping other children.

My other issue, and I hope this doesn't sound cold because I don't mean it that way, is the other children shouldn't be responsible for helping him from location to location. There should be paid staff doing that, even if the kids are doing it because they want to, it still has the potential to take away from their experience. Which may tie back to a PP point that maybe there is a resource issue?

[Deleted]

Jul 19, 2012 12:24:57 GMT -5 cole said:

Jul 19, 2012 11:54:32 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

The official accommodation cannot be a kid helping another kid. That can't be "the plan". There has to be an adult assigned to oversee his care. Even if the parents were okay with a kid doing it, I wouldn't take the risk as the camp director.

This. I've worked as a camp counselor for a few years at a camp for kids and adults with physical and developmental disabilities. With the amount of training required (even basics such as CPR and food preparation), it's a huge liability to have children "in charge" of helping other children.

My other issue, and I hope this doesn't sound cold because I don't mean it that way, is the other children shouldn't be responsible for helping him from location to location. There should be paid staff doing that, even if the kids are doing it because they want to, it still has the potential to take away from their experience. Which may tie back to a PP point that maybe there is a resource issue?

The mom says that the camp was unwilling to hire an extra staffer. I can see why the camp would be unwilling to do that, especially if they are already taxed. However, a discussion with the family could have allowed them to provide their own aide.

[cole]

Jul 19, 2012 12:27:58 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley said:

Jul 19, 2012 12:24:57 GMT -5 cole said:

This. I've worked as a camp counselor for a few years at a camp for kids and adults with physical and developmental disabilities. With the amount of training required (even basics such as CPR and food preparation), it's a huge liability to have children "in charge" of helping other children.

My other issue, and I hope this doesn't sound cold because I don't mean it that way, is the other children shouldn't be responsible for helping him from location to location. There should be paid staff doing that, even if the kids are doing it because they want to, it still has the potential to take away from their experience. Which may tie back to a PP point that maybe there is a resource issue?

The mom says that the camp was unwilling to hire an extra staffer. I can see why the camp would be unwilling to do that, especially if they are already taxed. However, a discussion with the family could have allowed them to provide their own aide.

Great point about bringing in their own. At the camp I was at for example, we did have kids who had their own aides when the parents wanted to 1 to 1, but the accommodations called for say 1 to 3. Which then ties back to the director not handling it well.