Trailways Camps Expand Opportunities for Disabled Children

ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE CHARITY, THE ABLE TRUST, THERE ARE ABOUT 3 MILLION ADULTS LIVING IN FLORIDA WITH A DISABILITY OR WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. AND THAT CAN MEAN LIVING WITH LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES. BUT ONE GROUP IS LOOKING TO CHANGE THAT. MY OFFERING A WEEK-LONG CAMPING EXPERIENCE THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF EVERY CAMPER. WGCUS CULTURE AND CONNECTIONS. REPORTER ELIZABETH ANDARGE HAS MORE. >> EMILY RIVERA HAS SPENT MOST OF HER LIFE PERFORMING SAYING THE RIGHT THING DURING THE RIGHT THING HERE. SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO HIDE THE AUTISM, THE OCD OR THE ADHD IN THE WORLD. >> THEY'LL SEE US YOU HAVE A DISABILITY >> AND WE'LL TALK TO LIKE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. >> YOU'RE A LITTLE KID. I PUT ON A MASK AND I DON'T KNOW MYSELF. AND SO NO ONE REALLY KNOWS THAT I HAVE DISABILITIES OR WHEN I'M HERE, I CAN BE MY TRUE SELF AND FEELS LIKE A WEIGHT OFF MY SHOULDERS. >> HERE IS TRULY IS CAMPS. A LEASED FACILITY LABELLE FOR ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS HAS NURSES CAMP COUNSELORS AND PHYSICAL THERAPISTS VOLUNTEERING ON SITE. THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES LAST YEAR. RIVERA WAS THE ONE BEING WELCOMED AS A CAMPER THIS YEAR. SHE'S THE ONE DOING THE WELCOMING. >> I WANT TO SEE ON THE VOLUNTEER SIDE TO THE CAMPERS THAT WE'RE AFRAID TO GO HORSEBACK RIDING THAT WERE AFRAID TO GET IN THE POOL ACTUALLY GO SWIMMING ACTUALLY GET ON A HORSE ACTUALLY DO ARCHERY OR WHATEVER ACTIVITY WE WERE DOING. THEY WERE SCARED TO DO IT AND THEN THEY DID. AND THEY REALLY SO PROUD OF THEMSELVES >> THAT PRIDE SHOWS IN THE ACTIVITIES THINKS MANY CAMPERS HAVE NEVER BEEN BRAVE ENOUGH OR BEEN GIVEN THE CHANCE TO TRY. JONATHON MINCY BO IS 38 FROM CORAL SPRINGS. HE WAS BORN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND LIVES ON HIS OWN. THIS IS THIS FIRST KIM. WE ASK WHAT RIDING A HORSE FELT LIKE? >> HIS >> CONCERT. JAKES, WHEN DEMAND IS 27 FROM FORT MYERS. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE KIND OF SHY AWAY FROM THIS BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO COMMUNICATE OR THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENCES MAY BE. >> BUT IT'S JUST REALLY IT'S REALLY AWESOME TO LEARN ABOUT THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY THEY HAVE TO LIKE JONATHAN HAS A LIFE TOO. >> AND IT'S JUST SO SPECIAL TO TO GET TO KNOW THEM AND TO LEARN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT THEY ENJOYED ENJOYED A DO AND LOVE. AND THAT'S JUST BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. >> WHEN ASKING MEN, SIEBEL WHERE HE TURNS ON THE HARDEST DAYS, HE DOESN'T HESITATE FOR >> ONE >> OF THE THINGS ABOUT THIS SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATION AS THEY RISE TO ADULT HERDS IS THEY GET LOST. THEY'RE AN IDENTIFIABLE. THEY JUST MANY OF THEM JUST GO HOME AND SIT ON COUCHES AFTER SPECIAL ED. AND THERE'S A LONG WAITING LISTS. AND IT'S HARD TO EVEN COMMUNICATE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THEM. HOW MANY? WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS? WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT OUT OF LIFE? >> THIS CAMP WAS BORN OUT OF GRIEF. FOUNDER SHARON MILLER AND HER HUSBAND, JERRY, BOTH LOST THEIR SONS. ROBERT AND BENJAMIN TO A RARE DISEASE. THEY LIVED TO 34. AND 44, THE MILLERS REFUSE TO LET THAT BE THE END OF THEIR STORY. THEY STARTED THE CAMP IN TEXAS TO HONOR THEIR BOYS, THEN EXPANDED TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. WE WANT PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. WE WANT THEM TO BE SPECIAL AND VALUE THEIR UNIQUE GIFTS JUST LIKE OUR SONS, TED, LIKE WE VALUE THEM. WE WANT THEM TO BE ADVOCATES FOR THEMSELVES. >> THE CAMPUS FOR DAYS AND WHAT THEY'LL MISS MOST >> THE POINT I HAVE THE >> JUST THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU BUILD HERE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE VOLUNTEERS, THE COUNSELORS, THE CAMPERS. IT'S ALL JUST REALLY SPECIAL, YOU KNOW, COMING TOGETHER. AND HONESTLY, I JUST MISSED AT ALL, BUT ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THE CAMPERS ON MY TEAM. >> THAT'S WHERE WE STILL SEE IT. JUST WHY. IT WAS A LOVE FOR. HE MENTIONS SELF. WITHOUT ANYONE JUDGING ME OR THINKING AND DIFFERENT. >> FOR WGCU NEWS, I'M ELIZABETH ANDARGE WITH VIDEOGRAPHER AMANDA WHITTAMORE.