Inclusive Summer Camps for All Ages

SUMMERTIME MEANS CAMP TIME FOR MANY SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FAMILIES. BUT FOR ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS THE CHANCE TO TAKE PART IN OUTDOOR CAMPS IS QUITE RARE. THE STATE SENATE ESTIMATES MORE THAN 3 MILLION FLORIDIANS LIVE WITH SOME FORM OF A DISABILITY TO HELP ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ENJOYED CAMPING EXPERIENCE. ONE LOCAL GROUP CREATED A UNIQUE CAMP FOR DISABLED ADULTS OF ALL AGES JOINING ME NOW ARE THE FOUNDERS OF TRAILWAYS CAMP SHARON AND JERRY MILLER WHO LIVE IN FORT MYERS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. >> COME FOR THE BEER. >> SHARON, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THIS CAMP ORIGINALLY BEGAN? >> YES, WE HAD 4 CHILDREN. 2 OF WHOM TURNED OUT HAD A RARE DISEASE AND WE WALKED THAT RARE DISEASE VENTURE. BUT THE DISEASE RESULTED IN MET NUMEROUS DISABILITIES THAT WERE PROGRESSIVE OVER TIME. AND THE ORIGINAL LIFESPAN PREDICTION WAS LIKE 5 YEARS. HOWEVER. THOSE 2 LIVE TELL 34. AND 44, WHEN THE ELDER OF THE 2 PASSED AWAY IN 2005. WE DECIDED THAT TO HONOR HIM. AND WE WERE IN TEXAS AT THE TIME. AND SO WE STARTED OUR FIRST CAMP THERE IN TEXAS. AND WE DID 30 CAMPS IN TEXAS AND WE DID OUR FIRST CAMP HERE IN 2012. SINCE THEN WE'VE DONE 45 CAMPUS AND WE LOOKED AROUND AND WE DIDN'T SEE A SERVICE LIKE THIS THAT COULD MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL THESE CAREGIVERS AND ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS LEADING SPECIAL EDUCATION. I CANNOT. FIRST OF ALL, IMAGINE. >> LOSING 2 CHILDREN. SO MY HEART GOES OUT TO BOTH OF YOU. BUT I ALSO AM JUST I'M AMAZED THAT YOUTUBE CHANNEL THAT GRIEF INTO REALLY SOMETHING THAT HAS SUCH PURPOSE. IT'S NOT THAT'S THE MOTIVATION HERE. AND THE JOY YOU SEE. >> FROM THE BEGINNING, THEY STEP IN THE FIRST DAY. AND HENCE ARE LIKE THIS. AND OF COURSE, IS ALL THE PARENTS ARE CAREGIVERS WHO? ARE SCARED TO DEATH. SHOULD WE TRUST THESE PEOPLE RIGHT WITH OUR SON OR DAUGHTER? AND THEN YOU SEE THIS CHANGE IS SO PREDICTABLE. THEY STARTED INTERACTING. THEY CLAIM THEIR BOMB. THEY GET IT DECORATED. THEY START GOING THROUGH ALL THESE ACTIVITIES THAT MANY OF THEM NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO DO. AND BY THE 4TH DAY WHEN IT ENDS AND THEY'VE SPENT 3 NIGHTS OVERNIGHT AND ONE NIGHT THEY GOT THE CAMP FIRE AND ANOTHER NIGHT THEY'VE GOT THEIR BIG DANCE. AND ANOTHER NIGHT FOR TALENT SHOW. THEY ARE BONDED AND THEY ARE IN CONNECTION WITH EACH OTHER AND IT DOESN'T MATTER. WE DON'T CHOOSE A DIAGNOSIS. WE TAKE THOSE ADULTS NO MATTER WHAT THE DIAGNOSIS AND IT'S OUR JOB. WE DO HOME VISITS SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE SUPPORTED AT A CAMP SETTING. NOW, I DON'T KNOW. YOU ARE A NONPROFIT. SO I WASN'T SURE HOW MUCH THAT COST TO THE CAMPER. >> HOW IT'S FUNDED. >> OR 2, ABOUT ONE OUT. >> WE FEEL VERY, VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THE ISSUE OF ABILITY TO PAY. THESE ARE ADULTS AND THAT. I DON'T WANT TO RUN A CAMP FOR MILLIONAIRES ACCEPT OR SO WE DO NOT CHARGE ONLY A VERY SMALL FAY. $75 REGISTRATION FEE FOR OUR CAMPS BECAUSE THEY'RE ADULTS BUT WHAT THEIR PARENTS EARN IS IRRELEVANT. SO THAT'S WHY WE DO THAT. SOME PEOPLE SAY WHY DON'T WE CHARGE MORE? I DON'T WE WILL NOT DO THAT. WE MAY CHARGE A LITTLE BORED, SO BORED, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY IS TURNED AWAY FROM OUR CAMS BECAUSE AN ABILITY TO PAY. >> AND YOU HAVE A LONG WAITING LIST. WE HAVE A LONG WAITING LIST. YES, WE HAVE. WE HAVE A BASE OF FOR? WELL, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER THIS MORNING, BUT IT'S BETWEEN 4 500 OF CAMPERS WHO HAVE ASKED TO BE ON OUR CONTACT-LESS AND TO LEARN WHEN WE'RE HAVING CAMPING OPPORTUNITIES, THAT KIND OF THING AT ANY GIVEN TIME AT CAMP YOU'LL HAVE 30 TO 50 NEW APPLICANT REQUESTS AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE 2030, RETURN EASE ASKING TO COME. AND WE WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD ALLOW 6 SPOTS OF THAT MINE FOR RETURN EASE. BUT THEN WE HAD WE DECIDED THE FAIRWAY WOULD BE TO GO BACK AND GO TO THOSE WHO'VE BEEN WAITING THE LONGEST FIRST PER THEM. THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. AND TO THAT POINT, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE? >> FOR ANYONE WATCHING THAT IS INTERESTED IN HAVING A LOVED ONE TO 10 THIS CAMP. WHAT SHOULD THEY DO TO GET MORE INFORMATION? OK? >> THEY CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AWWW TRAILWAYS CAMP DOT ORG RIGHT? AND ON THEIR IT TELLS THEM HOW TO REGISTER IF THEY REGISTER THERE, THEN SOMEONE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AND BE IN CONTACT BECAUSE THERE ARE MEDICAL CLEARANCES AND OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE PROCESS AND THEY WILL ARRANGE FOR A HOME VISIT. AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH US. AND THAT'S RIGHT THERE. HOW YOU DO WHEN THEY HAD TO SAY AND SHOULD MENTION, WE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY TYPE OF DISABILITIES. >> SO YOU'RE GONNA NAME IT WEVE. SEE THAT OUR CAMPS. WE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE BY AGE WHERE WE SERVE ADULTS. WHAT SALES CAMPER WAS. I DON'T. >> ACTUALLY ONE CAMPER LAST YEAR CELEBRATED THE 79TH BIRTHDAY OMICRON. THAT HAS A WONDERFUL WAS UP IS THE ONE WHO RETURNED TO CAMP. >> THE WAITING LIST. HE'S GOING TO GET BIGGER. BECAUSE WE HAVE DISCOVERED NOW THAT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 1000 FAMILIES AND LEE COUNTY WHO HAVE A CHILD. I WAS GRADUATING OUT A SPECIAL ED. AND THEY HAVE NOTHING. THE DEMAND FOR OUR SERVICES AS GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER >> AND LET ME JUST ADD, IF YOU TAKE THAT THE DATA THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUT OUT ANNUALLY ON EXETER'S FROM SPECIAL EDUCATION. IN THIS MULTI COUNTY AREA. THERE ARE THERE WERE AT THE END OF 25. ROUNDED 1700 EXETER'S FROM SPECIAL EDUCATION. GIVE US A MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE. FOR THESE ADULTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. >> WELL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS STORY TODAY. AND NOW APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US IN STUDIO AND TELLING US ALL ABOUT IT WITH YOU HERE. THANK YOU. >> HERE'S MORE INFORMATION FROM THE WGCU NEWSROOM. >> ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNCILS ON DISABILITIES. MORE THAN 22,000 FLORIDIANS DIAGNOSED WITH AN INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENT DISABILITY ARE ON A WAITING LIST FOR HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES TO FIND OUT MORE. YOU CAN VISIT WGCU DOT ORG.