Unlimited fun
Camp serves children with vision loss
EDMOND — For the 17th consecutive year, OWL (Oklahomans Without Limits) Camp will provide a summer camp experience to children who have have vision loss.
This year's camp will be July 17-21 at the University of Central Oklahoma. It's billed as a "superheroes themed week of fun."
OWL Camp is sponsored by NewView Oklahoma, a nonprofit designed to empower people who are blind and visually impaired. NewView leaders believe every child deserves a summer camp experience.
NewView Senior Vice President Cathy Holden knows the importance of OWL camp.
"The kids have such a great time being together and getting to do activities they thought they might never do because of their vision impairment," Holden said.
"For many, this camp is a time to forget about their limitations and explore a world built around their abilities."
Campers ages 8 to 14 participate. Children with partial or complete vision loss are paired with a sighted buddy.
Another believer in the camp's mission is Edmond's Joey Niebrugge, mother of Teague, 11, who has vision loss. This will be Teague's third camp.
"I'm so appreciative camps like this are available," Niebrugge said. "This is really a blessing."
She learned about the camp four years ago from a counselor at Deer Creek, where Teague attends school.
Already Teague is looking forward to a week's worth of fun.
"I like swimming," he said.
At one camp he had fun with water balloons. He said he also got to meet some guide dogs and enjoyed camp field trips, such as to a science museum.
He said he develops close friendships with camp buddies.
"Cody and I had a lot of fun last year," he said.
The idea of having sighted buddies is to help break down barriers, Holden said.
"Buddies go back to their peers and share their experience to eliminate the stigma that is too often associated with kids with disabilities," she said.
"Campers can do all the same things the sighted youth do with very little adaptation."
Officials with OWL Camp design the activities to help improve selfconfidence, self-esteem and independence.
"We build our activities on reaching our limits through trying new things and showing off those activities we are best at," Holden said.
For campers like Teague, it's even more simple.
"The camp is great," he said.
Information about NewView is at www. newviewoklahoma.org.