Owl Camp Provides Summer Fun for Blind & Visually Impaired Children

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 7, 2017 (Newswire.com) - NewView Oklahoma believes that every child deserves to have a summer camp experience. OWL Camp, or Oklahomans Without Limits, was created in 2000 for children who are blind or visually impaired.

This summer, campers ages 8 to 14 years old, will gather in Oklahoma City from July 17th through the 21st for a super-­heroes-­themed week of fun at the University of Central Oklahoma.  

"The kids have such a great time being together and getting to do activities they thought they might never do because of their vision impairment."

Cathy Holden, vice president of rehabilitation and clinical operations

OWL Camp activities are carefully planned and designed to encourage collaboration, improve confidence, self-­esteem, and independence, and challenge societal and self-­imposed limits. Campers and their sighted “buddies” will partake in activities such as trips to museums, aquatic facilities, a newspaper party, and the movies.  

OWL Camp is structured specifically to engage sighted children with those with vision loss. Each blind or visually impaired camper is partnered with a sighted buddy. The goal is to provide lasting effects by allowing the sighted buddies to understand that people with vision loss are just like them and that blind campers can do all the same things the sighted youth do with very little adaptation. The hope is that the sighted buddies will go back to their peers and share their experience, helping to eliminate the stigma that is too often associated with disabilities. 

“The kids have such a great time being together and getting to do activities they thought they might never do because of their vision impairment,” said Cathy Holden,  senior vice president of rehabilitation and clinical operations at NewView.  “For many, this camp is a time to forget about their limitations and explore a world built around their abilities.”   

NewView Oklahoma is the only private in-­state provider of comprehensive vision rehabilitation services to blind and vision-­impaired Oklahomans. To learn more about NewView Oklahoma's programs or clinical services, visit www.newviewoklahoma.org.  

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NewView Oklahoma is a private, not-­for-­profit organization founded in 1949 with a mission to empower people who are blind and visually impaired to achieve their maximum level of independence through employment, low vision rehabilitation, and community outreach. NewView Oklahoma is the leading employer of the blind and visually impaired individuals in Oklahoma and offers the only comprehensive Low Vision clinics in the state. Visit online at www.newviewoklahoma.org or follow on Facebook and on Twitter. 

Source: NewView Oklahoma