Special-needs Community Overlooked During Pandemic
Over the past three months, the rights of those with disabilities have been set back 30 years. In the name of protecting the elderly, the current policies being enforced in this state and others are having a significant impact on those with disabilities. I suppose we should not be surprised. We have observed a bias toward keeping those with disabilities out of the public eye since we opened Camp Tuolumne Trails in 2008. It is simply cheaper and less disturbing to treat them as objects to be stored on a shelf. What is different now is that we are choosing to institutionalize this unspoken preference with public policy.
I believe Governor Newsom and local county leaders are trying to protect citizens from becoming infected with this disease, however, one segment of our society–children and adults with special needs–has been totally neglected and overlooked. It is as if this cohort does not exist! I have extensively researched, unsuccessfully, about whether or not special-needs camps will be allowed to open this summer. To date, the special-needs community has been totally overlooked by the officials in charge, and there have been no considerations for allowing summer camps to open.
We don’t seem understand is that people with special needs look forward to going to summer camp each year and the majority are not medically fragile. We have recently revised our strict protocols to further safeguard against health and safety concerns. Camp is the one time during the year these campers get to be treated like others who go away to summer camp. It is not only an annual opportunity for them to have fun, meeting others just like them, and engage in activities at a fully accessible camp, such as swimming, archery and fishing, etc. It also is a chance for them to develop important life skills. Additionally, it’s often the only respite their caregivers receive during the year.
Organizations like ours know best how to keep our campers safe. We, like our peers, have developed stringent policies and procedures for operating in this difficult time.
It is inexcusable that the special-needs community has been totally overlooked by county and State officials. This important sector of our society does not deserve to be totally ignored or forgotten!
Jerry Baker
Founder/President, Camp Tuolumne Trails
Groveland, CA