There are a variety of great opportunities for children and adults with disabilities in Massachusetts to participate in indoor, outdoor and sports activities. Here are some resources for recreational opportunities:
Accessible Games: 7128.com, where you can get games that are entertaining, easy to understand, and reasonably priced. By making games accessible to gamers with special needs as well as those less challenged games are easier to use for all.
web address: www.7128.com
Accessible Museum & Sporting Venues in Boston
http://www.disabilityinfo.org/blog/?p=3549&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DI-NEI-Blog+%28DisabilityInfo+Blog%29 May 2013
Accessible Swimming Pools: outdoor swimming pool lifts are available at all of the State Parks and Recreation Department’s 20 swimming pools. The pools are free. Contact pool directly for information about other site factors affecting accessibility.
web address: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/accessibility/accessible-pools.html
AccesSport America is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery of higher function, fitness, and fun for children and adults with disabilities through high-challenge sports, which include kayaking, windsurfing and water skiing. They are located in Acton, MA.
Email: betty@accessportamerica.org | telephone: 978-264-0985
web address: http://www.accessportamerica.org/index.html
Adaptive Play Resources: Activities available for download at Let’s Play! Projects are designed for parents and professionals in Early Intervention programs. The content reflects the strategies and supporting materials useful when considering play options for young children with disabilities.
web address: http://letsplay.buffalo.edu/products/index.htm
All Out Adventures provides outdoor accessible recreational opportunities throughout Massachusetts for people of all abilities, their families and friends. Summer programs include accessible kayaking, canoeing, hiking and cycling. Winter programs include snowshoeing, x-country skiing & sit-skiing, ice skating, sled skating and snowmobile rides.
Email: info@alloutadventures.org | telephone: 413-427-8980
web address: http://www.alloutadventures.org/
Arcs. Local Arcs provide a variety of social and recreational activities for children and teens with developmental disabilities. To find your local Arc, go to: http://www.arcmass.org/Home/ChaptersOverviewandServices/ChaptersbyTown/tabid/93/Default.aspx
Association for Blind Citizens | web address: http://www.blindcitizens.org/
Beep Baseball! | web address: http://www.blindcitizens.org/renegades/
Camp Pride | web address: http://www.blindcitizens.org/camp.htm
Blind Camp in Maine: Sponsored by the American Legion- Hosted by Camp Lawroweld, Weld, Maine. Ages: for children ages 12 and up and adults who are blind and their families. Lots of activities. Space is limited. For more information about the camp, call Brenda Elliot at 617-670-3820
Carroll Center for the Blind | Outdoor Enrichment Program
web address: http://www.carroll.org/recreation/
Camp Inter-Actions Plymouth, MA: A summer camp experience for boys and girls ages 8-15, from the northeast region, who are blind or visually impaired. Through challenging and rewarding experiences the campers will make new friends, learn new skills, gain self-confidence, and develop independence. All program activities are designed in a safe and fun environment for children who are blind or visually impaired. Scholarship information is available on request. For a registration form and additional information please contact:Debbie Gross | email: campinfo@inter-actions.org | telephone: 603-319-6120
web address: www.inter-actions.org
Canadian Blind Sports Association has produced a book Integrating the Visually Impaired Student into Physical Education: A Teacher’s Resource Manual. http://www.canadianblindsports.ca/eng/index.htm
Challenger Sport League. Some towns (Andover, Braintree, Sandwich, Sudbury, Wakefield and Woburn) have challenger teams. The goal of the challenger team is to play with no pressure and to educate typical peers and their parents about sportsmanship. The program is available for boys and girls, ages 3 – 19 with all types of physical and developmental disabilities. Call local Little League to find out if a particular town offers Challenger Division Baseball.
Described and Captioned Media Program has partnered with the American Foundation for the Blind to forge “guidelines” to equal access for students with vision loss: The Description Key: Guidelines for the Description of Educational Media. The guidelines are intended for new and experienced describers, description agencies, media producers and distributors, and others who want to make educational media more accessible. Go to www.afb.org/descriptionguidelines.asp at AFB for this resource. To connect with DCMP, visit http://www.dcmp.org/descriptionkey To learn more about their extensive description resources available to teachers and parents, check out DCMP Web site for free-loan educational accessible media needs.
Great Park Pursuit – MA DCR “No Child Left Inside” Join the fun and be a part of The Great Park Pursuit! All you need is a minimum two-member team (one adult 18 years or older and one child under 18) and the desire to have a great time, all while discovering the beauty and unlimited activities of the Massachusetts state parks system.
web address: http://209.80.128.250/DCR/GPP/GPPHome.aspx
Horseback Riding – NARHA Centers in Massachusetts
web address: http://www.pathintl.org/path-intl-centers/find-center
Mass. Department of Conservation & Recreation | Universal Access Program
web address: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/universal_access
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – The MFA offers tours for people who are blind or low vision. Visitors may visit any of our collections or special exhibitions. The tours can be touch tours of sculpture, or tours using description and tactile materials, or a mix. On the first Sunday of every month the Museum offers a tour on a specific topic, and sometimes we offer other themed tours at specific times. We also welcome requests that fit your schedule and interests. For more information, please contact Hannah Goodwin at 617-369-3189, or email access@mfa.org.
Museum of Science – Boston
Science Park
Boston, MA 02114
For accessibility info and programs: information@mos.org
617-723-2500
617-589-0417 (TTY)
National Center on Physical Activity and Disability: www.ncpad.org
National Parks & Federal Recreational Land, Access Pass “America The Beautiful”
A pass is your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Each pass covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation. A pass covers entrance and standard amenity fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per vehicle fee areas (or up to four adults at sites that charge per person). Children age 15 or under are admitted free. May provide a 50 percent discount on some amenity fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launching, and specialized interpretive services.
web address: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm
Nature Trail- Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary. A quarter-mile, handicap-accessible trail and boardwalk along the bank of Indian Brook. This sanctuary has the following universally-accessible facilities: Nature Center, Restrooms, and All Persons Trail. 280 Eliot Street in Natick
telephone: 508-655-2296
web address: http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Broadmoor/
New England Ski for Light
web address: http://www.nersfl.org/
Our Place Our Space’s Kids Space Afterschool program for elementary and high school students who are blind will take place on Thursdays 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM & the first two Saturdays of the month,10:00 AM – Noon: The Tobin Community Center, 1481 Tremont Street Roxbury MA. For more information call 617-459-4084.
Perkins School for the Blind | Outreach Activites
web address: http://www.perkins.org/community-programs/outreach-student-services/
RadaR the Eargame is an online game for children who are blind or vision impaired. For more information email radar@sonoplanet.com for more information, use subject-line “RadaR account”. If interested in receiving a free audio-CD with the audioplay and songs from RadaR the Eargame, please include postal address.
Rush-Miller Foundation: assists children who are legally blind in getting a tandem bike.
web address: http://rushmillerfoundation.org/
Sonokids has set up and maintains an international, multilingual webportal which is fully accessible for children with a vision impairment. On their website you will find accessible audiogames which are fully compatible with assistive technology such as JAWS.
web address: www.sonokids.com
Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) provides year round sports training and athletic competition for all persons with intellectual disabilities. Minimum age requirement is eight years of age. There is no maximum age requirement. SOMA summer games offers aquatics, athletics, gymnastics, sailing, tennis and volleyball. Go to above link to search SOMA region that covers your town.
telephone: 978-774-1501.
web address: http://www.specialolympicsma.org/
United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) resources on modifying PE classes are available and have a number of suggestions for ball and target areas, running and jogging, boundaries and lines, as well as modification of rules.
web address: www.usaba.org | telephone: 719-630-0422
Universal Access Program, MA Dept. of Conservation & Recreational. Provides outdoor recreation opportunities in Massachusetts State Parks for visitors of all abilities.
web address: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/universal_access/index.htm
Wheelchair Sports & Recreation Assn. offers information about beach wheelchairs, biking, boating and more.
web address: http://www.wheelchairsportsandrecreation.com/
Way Point Adventure: Experiential education transforms individuals and communities through challenge. Waypoint provides these transformational opportunities to people with and without disabilities. Waypoint’s Mission is to help youth and adults of all abilities discover their purpose, talents, and strengths through the transforming power of adventure. Waypoint’s Vision is that all people, regardless of ability, will have opportunities for adventure and through them realize their personal value, strengths and abilities. These experiences will help people become stronger individuals and community members.
web address: http://waypointadventure.org/