Health &
Wellness
Blind
and visually impaired families come together to learn and
explore
Agency: The
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Support
Needed:
$4,500
Purpose: Recreational
equipment for outdoor camp program
Blindness
is known as a low-incidence disability. As a result, blind
and visually impaired people often feel--and are, in
fact--isolated. This sense of being the "only one"
frequently extends to family members, who can struggle to
find local support services and a peer network.
Since
1950, Napa has offered a haven for blind people of all ages
and their families to learn and have fun together.
Enchanted
Hills Camp is nestled among the redwood trees of Mt. Veeder
and is run by a San Francisco-based nonprofit called The
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (LightHouse).
LightHouse works with 3,000 visually impaired people in
northern California and provides: employment training;
independent living skills classes; and, health and wellness
education.
LightHouse
uses Enchanted Hills Camp to offer these programs in an
intensive format, but in an outdoor environment. Some 400
campers attend during Enchanted Hills' season, which runs
April through October. Each camp session is targeted to a
specific visually impaired demographic. For example, there
are camp sessions for: babies and their parents; children-
and teen-only camps; and camps for blind seniors.
This
summer, LightHouse will pilot a session specifically for
blind children and families that live in Napa County. A
typical week at Enchanted Hills includes workshops that
empower parents and kids to advocate for their special
education needs at school, and classes on using adaptive
technologies. Peer support figures prominently; sharing
concerns and strategies is a thread that runs throughout
both structured and free time.
Also
on Enchanted Hills participants' itineraries: typical
camping activities, such as horseback riding, hiking and
sports (like blind basketball), arts and crafts, and just
sitting around the campfire. Recreation activities offer
lessons in trust and using tools like braille and guide
ropes.
LightHouse's
annual budget for Enchanted Hills is $320,000, which covers
17 seasonal staff trained to work with blind people, plus
food and lodging. All blind and visually-impaired kids
attend at no cost.
LightHouse
wants to round out its recreational offerings and purchase
tandem bicycles, paddleboats and life jackets. Cost for this
equipment is $4,500. Your support would enhance this fun and
safe learning environment for blind community members and
their families.
The
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
214
Van Ness Ave
San
Francisco, CA 94102
415.431.1481
Contact:
Bryan Bashin, Executive Director
Email:
bbashin@lighthouse-sf.org
http://lighthouse-sf.org/
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