Summer Camps for the Handicapped in New England

Several generations ago children with physical, mental or emotional handicaps were likely to spend the beautiful days of summer in the same kinds of places where they passed the rest of the not so beautiful days of winter. Children that had challenges to face in their lives remained in schools or at home with only a passing thought of what summer camp might be all about. Today thanks to specialization not only are there summer camps for kids who play musical instruments, camps for computer nuts and camps for every sport under the sun, there are also camps for children and adults who have special needs. Among the choices are these three summer camps for the handicapped in New England.

1.Camp Thorpe In 1927 summer camps for the handicapped in New England were practically an unheard of enterprise. There were exactly none in the state of Vermont. It was against that less than encouraging background that proponents of a special summer facility for the handicapped began their annual fund raising work and announced the opening of Camp Thorpe in Goshen Vermont.

The founders would have been hard pressed to come up with a more idyllic setting for their project. Camp Thorpe is located in the midst of the Green Mountains of Vermont on more that 170 acres of wooded land. Over the years development of the camp has meant the establishment of two separate sites, one for the use of young people and the other reserved for handicapped adult campers.

Camp Thorpe provides campers with a summer experience living in cabins,enjoying the camp pool, tennis court, pond and wooded trails Most of all campers are assisted in discovering the joy and good times that all children should discover as part of their summer experience, regardless of handicaps or challenges in their lives.