The week-long camp gives blind children, ages 9 to 17, a chance to have fun and develop confidence, independence and lifelong friendships.
Swimming, canoeing, and gathering around a campfire are activities many sighted people often take for granted. All they have to do is pack up a tent and camping gear and set off to one of the numerous campsites in their area for a night or weekend of leisure and exploration.
For those who are blind or visually impaired, however, such opportunities are less plentiful, especially for children. They not only miss out on the physical benefits camping activities offer, but the social interaction as well.
In 2022, Andrea Bilello decided to do something to bridge that gap. Bilello, an itinerant teacher of students with visual impairments and a certified assistive technology instructional specialist in New Hampshire, got together with several friends and family members to launch Camp EXSIGHTING Adventures, a nonprofit camp for students with visual impairments. The idea was to give these children, ages 9 to 17, a chance to have fun and develop confidence, independence and lifelong friendships.
While other camps in neighboring states concentrate on specific skills or sports, Camp EXSIGHTING strives to give blind kids the thrill of a week-long residential camp in a safe, accessible environment.
“The kids really want an opportunity,” explained Bilello, who has a master’s in both special education and vision studies from UMass Boston. “They had nowhere to go, especially the younger kids. Not all kids like sports; they just want to be outside with their friends. I’m friends with lots of people who are blind and visually impaired. I was like, ‘hey, why don’t we do this?’”
Bilello and her board began spreading the word and raised over $20,000 in the organization’s first six months of existence. Most of the camp’s expenses are covered by grants and donations, relieving campers and their families of the cost.
The one-week camp is held around the first week of July at Lions Camp Pride, a site surrounded by beautiful lakes and mountains and tucked away in the picturesque woods of New Durham, New Hampshire.
This past summer, about 20 campers gathered for swimming, canoeing, goalball, arts and crafts, adaptive board games, a campfire and talent show. They also got to experience a day of ranch camp featuring horseback riding and grooming.
Another way Camp EXSIGHTING Adventures sets itself apart is allowing young adults who are visually impaired the chance to become camp counselors and staff members. These are paid positions offered to high school and college students. This helps them develop communication, collaboration and leadership skills.
The counselors and staff members become important role models for younger campers to learn from.
“It’s not just (about) being blind and visually impaired, but being a role model and having a positive outlook on life. Everybody that works at the camp and gets paid are blind and visually impaired students or have aspirations of getting a job.”
Bilello first heard about the Foreseeable Future Foundation through Madeline Babcock, a visually impaired college student and camp staff member. Her father, a Lions Club member, had met CEO Griffin Pinkow and encouraged Camp EXSIGHTING to apply for a grant.
Bilello, who owns a horse, was fascinated to learn about the various horse camps Foreseeable Future has sponsored over the years, and decided to offer one at this year’s camp after receiving a grant.
“It wasn’t in our budget. (The Foreseeable Future funding) covered everything: paying for the helmets, transportation, snacks and arts and crafts materials.”
Bilello contacted Triple D Equestrian, a local stable she and her daughter used, and asked for their help. The stable’s owner, Dawn Dascomb and her staff enthusiastically agreed.
“The day we went, it was a very hot day. It was 10 degrees cooler inside, so they were inside the whole day. It’s a huge indoor facility and they were able to do everything. Dawn was great.”
The ranch camp took place July 11 at Kenridge Farm in Kensington, about 40 miles from New Durham. Once they arrived, campers were divided into groups and alternated between horseback riding, arts and crafts, and grooming.
Campers made wooden horseshoe dreamcatcher chimes during the arts and crafts sessions. They were shown how to peel apples and carrots for horse treats using a peeler. Each group worked together to groom the horses, empty and fill water buckets, give out hay, measure grain, and clean a stall. A picnic lunch was served along with ice pops after lunch and before traveling back to Lions Camp Pride late in the afternoon.
The day at Kenwood Farm was voted as one of the most popular activities of the week, with both campers and staff wanting to go again next summer. For Bilello, the experience was humbling.
“They liked all of it. They liked the grunt work, which was really nice to see. They liked seeing the barn, helping, making the horse treats. I was just glad they enjoyed it as much as they did.”
Along with experiences like the horse camp, the best part of the week for many campers is the chance to bond and socialize with others who experience the same challenges they do. As a family member of one camper said in a testimonial, “she has been full of positive experience stories… She made many friends and rides away from camp full of memories and experiences that will last a lifetime. Thank you just does not seem enough.”