Camp Abilities Connects Visually Impaired, Blind Children and Families Through Sports

It incorporates different sports like baseball, archery, and swimming to get campers physically active while building confidence.

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By Alexis Fernandez

Story Created: Jul 15, 2011 at 10:57 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jul 15, 2011 at 10:57 PM AKDT

A local organization is using a weeklong camp to connect families who have children that are visually impaired.

Camp Abilities Alaska is part of a nationwide sports camp for teens and children who are blind or visually impaired. It incorporates different sports like baseball, archery, and swimming to get campers physically active while building confidence.

“It’s a great place to go to make friends and get out and do stuff that you might normally not get to do,” said Josh Farmer, a coach with Camp Abilities.

It’s also a place where one mother, Pamela Gebert, is connecting with families who have children who are blind. Gebert’s 11-year-old daughter Julia was born blind.

She started an organization called Alaska Parents of Blind Children, a support group for families to turn to year round.

“There’s a lot of families that just didn’t have anywhere to turn, to get in touch with other families and to ask questions,” she said.

But for many campers, including her daughter Julia, the weeklong of fun was about reconnecting with friends.

“I get to learn things about them, find things in common,” she said.

This is the tenth anniversary for Camp Abilities Alaska, which has brought hundreds of youth from across the state to Anchorage every summer.

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shayla said on Saturday, Aug 20 at 5:49 PM

hi, i love this camp. i have a friend who goes there. she enjoys it and goes every year! THANKS.

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SHAYLA said on Saturday, Aug 20 at 5:50 PM

when are the 2011 camp photos going to be available to look at on thier site?

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