IN-SIGHT’s On the Move summer camp was held July 15 – 19 and included a lot of challenging adventures including trips to Newport, Boston, and Plymouth plus golfing, bowling, and yoga. The focus of the camp is on orientation and mobility. It puts the campers in situations where they must use the skills they have previously learned to navigate unfamiliar environments and situations. Take a look at our daily activity summary below:
Monday, July 15: Yoga, TopGolf and Garden City
On the first day of camp, the participants learned some basic yoga poses. Yoga helps people learn how to center their bodies, filter out distractions, and improve balance, which are all skills that people with visual impairments rely on when traveling from one place to another. Then it was off to TopGolf in Cranston where the campers took turns hitting golf balls at targets in a large field. Golfing also reinforced the skills of strategizing how to solve a problem, staying focused on a task while filtering out distractions, and the importance of practice as a way to master a skill. After lunch, the group navigated through the Garden City shopping center which provided the opportunity to identify landmarks that could be used for pathfinding and practice how to safely cross roads and driveways.
Tuesday, July 16: Newport
Today the campers headed off to Newport, accessing a summertime ferry between Providence and the city by the sea. The ferry, which only costs $12 roundtrip for people with disabilities, is an affordable and safe way for people with visual impairments to travel between the two destinations. While in Newport, the participants practiced several busy street crossings and navigating sidewalks that were crowded with tourists.
Wednesday, July 17: Boston
Today the campers headed off to a big city to explore complex traffic situations, enjoy a film at the New England Aquarium, and learn about the Boston Tea Party.
Thursday, July 18: Plymouth, MA
Today the campers took a step back 400 years to the arrival of European settlers in the New World in Plymouth. The participants explored the Plimouth Patuxet Museums, including a replica of the settlement and the Mayflower. During their visit, the campers had to use a variety of mobility skills in order to navigate on dirt trails, gravel roads, narrow stairways, tight spaces, and busy streets.
Friday, July 19: Bowling
To round out the week we did some bowling at Old Mountain Lanes in Wakefield. This is a great facility because, unlike some others, they have great lighting and don’t play loud music during the day, which reduces distractions. Like golfing. bowling also reinforced key mobility skills such as centering your body, strategizing how to accomplish a task, staying focused on the goal, and making modifications to your strategy as you gain experience through practice. After lunch, the campers created some unique art work that represented their favorite part of their week at camp.
