Ethical Accommodation

Offer equally meaningful ways to enjoy programs

By Chris Thurber

“I don’t know the first thing about accommodations,” I said to my friend, the director of a camp that serves young burn survivors. “Yes, you do,” he insisted. “When I started walking a little faster, you did, too, Chris. I didn’t even have to say anything. We’re still going to complete the same footpath circuit, but we’re doing it at a pace that will get us to the dining hall before the meal starts.” I smiled, suddenly thinking about how often we make adjustments that help us succeed at challenging tasks. It’s smart. It’s strategic. And it’s what ethical accommodations do.

© Larry Metayer | Dreamstime.com

Creative Modifications

As you read about campers with special needs, your thoughts probably turn to accommodations—creative modifications as to how programs are designed and run. These modifications have both ethical and legal drives. Ethically, we want to do what is right and fair for the youth we serve. Legally, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that summer camps (both independent and not-for-profit camps that are non-religious) “provide reasonable modifications of their policies, practices, and procedures when necessary to enable campers with disabilities to participate fully in camp programs, unless the camp can demonstrate that the necessary modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the services and activities offered by the camp” or pose an undue burden.[1]

Fulfilling ethical duties feels gratifying, but fulfilling legal obligations can feel daunting. In this case, much hinges on the word “reasonable.” Changes that “fundamentally alter the nature of the services and activities offered” by a camp would not be considered reasonable. Take a camp with 1,500 feet of shorefront on a natural lake. Must it construct a 1,500-foot, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk along the water’s edge? No, as long as the camp can demonstrate one of the following:  

• The expense of such a project would pose an undue burden on the camp’s budget

• Such a boardwalk would fundamentally alter one or more of the camp’s programs, such as loon preservation.

What counts as a fundamental alteration or undue burden for a camp? These are questions for your attorney and accrediting organizations you respect. For a sense of what judges have decided in past years, read settlements involving summer camps on the DOJ’s website.[2] I am not an attorney, so this article focuses on the social and emotional dimensions of accommodations.

Doing It Already

Conversations about accommodations often reference extreme examples, such as building giant boardwalks or installing elevators in wilderness settings, but meaningful accommodations typically involve more common sense than cash. For example, think about the changes you have already made to accommodate different participants. If your camp has boats, I bet you provide life jackets in different sizes. Accommodating campers’ different body sizes is just one equipment modification you have probably made without even considering it an accommodation.

Decades ago, my good friend, Kurt Podeszwa, former director of Camp For All in Burton, Texas, pointed out to me that accommodations are ubiquitous. For that reason, he urged fellow camp professionals to stop thinking about accommodations as something only persons with special needs require. Kurt was fond of reminding me that, when I put on polarized sunglasses to cut glare while I was lifeguarding, that was an accommodation. , when I put on closed-toed shoes to make my walking around camp safer, that was an accommodation. Sure, I could still lifeguard without sunglasses and stroll without footwear, but I was far more comfortable and effective with my accommodations in place.

Just as accommodations are not solely for persons with special needs, accommodations also don’t have to involve equipment. When I sign for a deaf camper or draw for one who is more of a visual learner than a verbal learner, I’m using special skills, but not expensive gear. Other accommodations do involve equipment, but nothing extra—just modifications for how existing equipment is used. Check out this year’s qualifying rounds of para-archery online for some inspiring examples. Until you’ve seen world-class archers shoot with their legs and feet, you’ve not fully appreciated how equipment designed for arms and hands can be elegantly modified.

© Susan Leggett | Dreamstime.com

Grounding Questions

Lofty and laudable principles, such as inclusion, can sometimes lead organizations to cause more harm than good—to persons with and without special needs. To avoid this pitfall, pause to consider the following questions before modifying policies, practices, and procedures:

1. How have other organizations, faced with similar challenges, accommodated differently abled persons? Other camps, schools, and youth-serving organizations may have served one or more participants with the disability in question. Contact them to learn what worked and what didn’t work. In addition, ask young people and their families who are familiar with the disability in question what past accommodations have been most helpful, albeit in different contexts. Discover what has helped young people with special needs feel genuinely included, challenged, and engaged.

2. What additional training will staff members need? Regardless of the disability in question, staff members must be trained to understand specific campers’ needs in order to implement appropriate accommodations, assess what is working and what is not, and make spontaneous adjustments. Enrolling differently abled campers without properly training staff members is unethical for all parties. Undertrained staff members are far more likely to feel overwhelmed and to resign, compared to well-trained staff. Undertrained staff members are also a liability because they do not know how to appropriately support campers with special needs. You may feel magnanimous by enrolling campers with diagnosed mental and physical disabilities, but outreach must be paired with specialized staff training. Directors who expect staff members to simply “figure out” how to support campers with autism or hemophilia or any other condition are being both unethical and irresponsible.

3. Will the modified camp experience be as good as, or better than, the experience at a camp designed for youth with this disability? In consultation with young people and their families who are familiar with the diagnosis or disability in question, directors must evaluate the projected quality of the experience with the proposed accommodations. Will the modified experience not only be fun, but also achieve the program’s goals? The last thing most differently abled campers and their caregivers want is a bland, simplified, or risk-free experience. Avoid the common pitfall of creating a modified situation that is largely tokenistic—a way for you and others to brag about having included some differently abled campers to participate.

4. How will outcomes be measured for all participants? If a camp does not yet have valid and reliable ways to measure its programs’ outcomes, now is the time to start. Here in North America, both the American Camp Association and the Canadian Camping Association have excellent off-the-shelf questionnaires and other instruments for evaluating program effectiveness. Both the ACA and the CCA also offer instruction on successfully integrating these research tools to yield maximally informative data.

 Beyond The Post

After asking and answering the questions above, you’ll be in an enlightened position to be creative, should you decide to design accommodations. Throughout the process, let expanding accessibility be your motivation, not “a great upload” or “tons of likes.” If accommodations have been successful, staff members and campers will spread the word about how phenomenal the camp is. Sure, photos and video clips of differently abled participants may eventually end up on your website and social media pages (provided you have the appropriate permissions), but spontaneous participant testimonials are the most persuasive evidence of an organization’s strengths and progress. Wait until you are certain the accommodations were effective for campers and properly supported by staff before publicizing your efforts. 

Some years ago, during a visit to Mitchell College in New London, Conn., I asked the school president how the 70 faculty members accommodated the different abilities of 570 students. She replied, “We challenge the faculty to present lessons and assignments in ways that allow students of all different abilities to find traction. For example, at mid-term, a teacher might give students a choice of taking a written exam, making an in-class presentation, turning in a research paper, or collaborating with a classmate on a topical project.”

Everyone has meaningful choices; no one gets an insulting pass. This isn’t the only approach that faculty at Mitchell and other schools use to teach to myriad learning styles, but I find it the most compelling because it holds all students to the same high standards. “Students can choose how to demonstrate their competence,” the president explained, “but our school culture does not condone ‘dumbing down’ any course’s content. What message would that approach send to students?”

Next season, offer staff members the training necessary to better meet campers’ needs and modify programs in ways that give campers alternate but equally challenging pathways to achievement. Avoid offering diluted versions of traditional pathways. Different is not deficient.

Dr. Christopher Thurber is a clinical psychologist, father, and professional educator who has presented keynotes and workshops on five continents. He is the author of two books for parents—The Summer Camp Handbook and The Unlikely Art of Parental Pressure—and two video series for young people: Prep4Camp and Prep4School, both of which are hosted on ReachBoarding.com. Learn more on Chris’s website, DrChrisThurber.com.

References

[1] U.S. Department of Justice (2015). https://www.ada.gov retrieved on August 18, 2023. (This example is from New Jersey.)

[2] ADA Resources and Camp Information (2021). https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/civil-rights/ada-resources-camp-info retrieved on August 18, 2023. (This example is from South Carolina.)