How Scouting America is making its camps even more accessible to Scouts with special needs

Scouting America believes that every young person deserves to have a great experience at Scout camp. The Special Needs Prepared Camp program is a new initiative to help Scouting properties make sure that happens.

Introduced as a pilot program in 2024, the Special Needs Prepared Camp program is designed to give camps the tools they need to make their property accessible to kids with special needs.

“We want to say to families, ‘Hey, we are ready for you; you can come to our camps,’” says Warren Wenner, past chair of the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee and co-chair of the Special Needs Prepared Camp program. “We focus on what makes a parent feel safe so they’re comfortable allowing their kid with special needs to go to Scout camp.”

Wenner estimates that around 8% of Scout youth who attend summer camp have some kind of physical or intellectual disability, while around 5% have a challenge like dyslexia or ADHD. The Special Needs Prepared Camp program is designed to make sure all of them have the most positive camp experience possible by first becoming a national accredited camp and then by following an 11-step process.

1. Be Prepared for Scouts with invisible or hidden disabilities like autism, ADHD, learning difficulties, mental health conditions and sensory loss such as speech, sight or hearing.
2. Make sure trails are accessible to Scouts with mobility issues.
3. Campsites, cabins and any other housing facilities should be located on a hard surface and connected by concrete or paved pathways to commonly used areas such as the target sports range, campfire ring, dining hall, and other campsites and meeting areas.
4. Showers and bathrooms should be wheelchair-accessible and meet all Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, such as the inclusion of seating and safety bars in the showers, hand-held showerheads, and a lower shelf for personal supplies.
5. Program areas should have at least one station with adaptive equipment.
6. Building entryways, one of the biggest barriers to a person with disabilities, should have a ramp for wheelchairs, or the building should offer an alternative entrance for those who need it.
7. Campfire areas should offer a safe and secure place for someone with a disability to sit and enjoy the program.
8. The health lodge should utilize best practices to provide inclusion for all people, including handrails, ample space and signs that include Braille, pictures and raised lettering.
9. Dining areas should include proper disability seating, and a licensed dietitian should be on call to help with special needs diets.
10. Camp staff should be aware of the types of disabilities they may encounter so they can provide an environment where all Scouts have access to a meaningful experience.
11. Staff and parents of Scouts with disabilities should meet before camp begins to discuss any issues and concerns.

While some Scouting America camps — like Sea Base and Philmont Scout Ranch — have already completed all steps of the Special Needs Prepared Camp program, others may be at different points of the process. Contact your local council to find out more about how its camps can serve Scouts with special needs.

What is Scouting America’s philosophy on serving youth with disabilities?

The basic premise of Scouting for youth with disabilities and special needs is that they want most to participate like other youth — and Scouting gives them that opportunity. That’s why most of the programs for Scouts with disabilities and special needs are directed at helping camps and Scout leaders develop an awareness of people with disabilities and encouraging the inclusion of Scouts with disabilities and special needs in Cub Scout packs, Scouts BSA troops, Venturing crews and Sea Scout ships.

Scouting America also makes a concerted effort to provide quiet spaces, some flexibility to scheduling and the utilization of smaller groups for activities as needed — all in an effort to support youth who may find the traditional experience a bit overwhelming at times.

The Inclusion Toolbox for special needs and disabilities is Scouting America’s primary tool for guidance on serving Scouts with special needs and disabilities.

Bookmark this site, as it is updated regularly.

Photo from Scouting America archives