Children with disabilities are being given the chance to take part in the same experiences and activities in Okotoks-run day camps as others their age.
The Town of Okotoks has partnered with Between Friends from Calgary to develop an inclusion program allowing children with a range of disabilities to take part in day camp programs open to children between the ages of three and 12 years old.
The Town is entering the second year of a four-year partnership with group, which provides support and funding for a recreation inclusion co-ordinator to lead the program in Okotoks.
Janette Messer, Okotoks’ community programs team leader, said Between Friends provides funding, mentors and training for Town staff to be able to co-ordinate programs for young people with disabilities.
The Town has picked one of its staff members to be trained by Between Friends giving Okotoks expertise it will be able to use and share in the future.
“We didn’t have a lot of resources at our fingertips, it meant we were able to partner with an organization who had a lot of experience in catering to children,” she said.
Messer said the Town wants all of its programs to eventually become fully inclusive.
“Ultimately, we will be able to be self-sufficient and have the knowledge and resources available to be able to support our own inclusion programs within our summer day camp programs and year-round programs,” she said.
The organization is sharing the $6,000 cost of the program with the Town. For the first year, Between Friends covered the entire cost and will cover three quarters in the second year with the Town paying the remaining 25 per cent. The organization will split the cost with the Town in the third year and the Town will pay 75 per cent in the fourth year, with 25 per cent coming from Between Friends.
The 30-year-old organization provides social and recreation programming for people with disabilities and Okotoks is the first community it has partnered with outside Calgary.
Carly Campeau, Between Friends communications lead, said the organization has identified a need in Okotoks and outlying communities around the city.
“There was a need there,” she said. “We’ve tried to expand to serve different satellite communities.”
Patty Van Winkle, Okotoks inclusion program co-ordinator, said she is proud the Town has been able to partner with Between Friends to offer the program to help children with disabilities.
She said it allowed children with a variety of different disabilities – from Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder to physical disabilities – to be able to participate in summer day camps with other children their own age.
Van Winkle said it makes a significant difference for the children to be able to take part in the same activities as others their own age.
She said they fit in with the other children and thrive as part of the program.
“Their self-esteem may have been a little low when they came in, but by the time the end of the week was done they were just glowing,” said Van Winkle. “I think it’s an awesome program.”
Okotoks resident Beverley Seitz said the program allowed her grandson Jaxan to enjoy activities other children and parents take for granted.
Her grandson suffers from developmental delays and high anxiety. She said Van Winkle used a visual schedule to help her grandson understand what he would be doing each day.
“She made a visual picture board for him with a schedule that said exactly each day what he was going to be doing,” said Seitz. “That way, it became predictable for him.”
She said Van Winkle was also available to calm her grandson if he got into an anxious state.
In previous years, Seitz said her grandson could only attend day camps for three days of the week because of his anxiety disorder. She said last year was the first year Jaxan could attend for a whole week. By the end of the summer he was able to attend a sleep over camp.
“It took away the anxiety and made it so he could go to camp and connect with someone,” she said.
