Frustrations are growing among parents of children with special needs. They believe there is a dearth of inclusive summer camps that take their wards’ needs into consideration.For hundreds of school-aged children next week when the majority of camps across the island open, it will be a chance for them to meet new friends, be stimulated by outdoor activities and be engaged in other activities after being constrained by the restrictions of the pandemic for the past two years.However, for children with special needs, whether it is a physical disability or a developmental disorder, traditional summer camps can pose challenges.Charmaine Walker, whose son Tyler is autistic, said that even worse, she can find no summer camp that is willing to accept her eight-year-old. So, he may have to remain indoors for most, if not all, of the vacation until school resumes in September signalling the start of a new school year. This is a sentiment being echoed by several other parents, many of whom were unwilling to speak on the record. They however are now calling for greater inclusion as they believe that differently-abled children do not have equitable access to camps.
