Disability Pride Month: Every Child Deserves the Magic of Camp

Disability pride means building communities where everyone belongs

July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the identities, contributions, and experiences of people with disabilities while recognizing disability as a natural part of the human experience.

This month honors the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990, landmark legislation that transformed access to schools, workplaces, transportation, and public spaces across the country. This Legislation remains one of the most significant civil rights laws in American history.

At the YMCA of Greater Seattle, we believe accessibility is more than meeting standards. Accessibility is about building environments where every person experiences belonging, feels supported, and can fully participate in community. That commitment comes to life every summer at our overnight camps.

Camp belongs to every child

For generations, Y camps have helped young people discover confidence, independence, friendships, and a lifelong connection to nature. Every child deserves that opportunity to experience the sense of community that camp makes possible. Sometimes that begins with accessible cabins, ramps, handrails, tactile signage, or adaptive facilities. More often, it begins with listening.

Many disabilities are invisible. A camper may be autistic, have ADHD, diabetes, epilepsy, anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, hearing loss, or another condition that isn't immediately apparent. Rather than assuming what support a camper may benefit from, our staff work alongside families before camp even begins.

Belonging starts before camp

Before many campers arrive, Y care teams connect directly with families to learn about each child. Every child arrives with unique strengths, individual experiences, and varying needs, routines, and strengths.

"We do a lot of work getting to know kids before they come to camp. If families think their camper might need a little extra support, we talk and learn, so we can match the level of care they receive at home while they're at camp." 

~Ali, Camp Orkila Camper Support Team Staff

Those conversations help staff understand each camper's strengths, routines, and needs so every child can participate fully in camp life: some children benefit from quiet spaces throughout the day, others may need extra support during meals, help navigating new friendships, or strategies for managing homesickness or sensory overload. 

The goal is simple: to help every child feel they belong and discover new ways to thrive.

Creating space to grow

Camp asks a lot of young people. They're away from home, meeting new friends, trying unfamiliar activities, and building independence, often for the first time, and that can feel overwhelming.

Ali remembers one such camper, “on day one, they were like ‘I want to go home, this is just so far out of my comfort zone,’ Ali said. "Through working with her, providing accommodations, and teaching her some ways she could calm herself down when she’s feeling stressed, she (was) able to have a much better second half of the week—and now she wants to come back!"

Our camp counselors see such stories like this happen every summer. At Camp Colman, our Inclusion Specialist works alongside campers experiencing homesickness, anxiety, or other challenges that make adjusting to camp difficult. 

“The most rewarding part of my job is watching a kid go from completely inconsolable to excited to be at camp. They become excited for the next day, ask when the next activity is, and ask when they can see their friends again. Watching them make that switch is incredible." 

~Chloe, Camp Colman Inclusion Specialist

That transformation often happens through patient encouragement, supportive staff, new friendships, and the confidence that comes from trying something new.

Inclusion looks different for every camper

Creating an inclusive camp experience means recognizing there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Y camps provide specialized staff training in trauma-informed care, neurodiversity, cultural humility, and inclusive practices. Staff partner with child psychologists and other experts to better understand how to support campers with a wide range of needs.

For some campers, inclusion means sensory-friendly spaces where they can decompress before rejoining activities. For others, inclusion means adapting programs so wheelchair users can fully participate, providing additional emotional support throughout the week, or creating all-gender camp sessions and private, single-user restroom facilities so every camper feels safe, respected, and welcome.

At the core of it all, each accommodation serves the same purpose: helping every child experience the joy, confidence, and belonging that camp offers.

More than a week at camp

For Ali, that work is deeply personal. She first attended Camp Orkila as a 9-year-old camper before returning as a teen participant, summer intern, and eventually a member of the Camper Support Team.

“I learned a lot about myself and that I can do hard things. Now I get to provide that experience for other kids, seeing kids build that grit and self-assurance is really really powerful.” 

~Ali, former camper and current staffer

That confidence doesn't end when camp does. Children leave camp with stronger friendships, greater independence, new coping skills, and a deeper belief in themselves.

As Chloe puts it, “Camp is important because it is a place where kids can be themselves apart from their natural support system. It allows them to grow in ways that a lot of kids do not always have the opportunity to do. They learn so much about themselves and other people, and it is something irreplaceable.”

Camp isn't just for some kids. The camp experience belongs to every child. 

Disability Pride Month reminds us that accessibility is an ongoing commitment. Building communities where everyone belongs requires listening, learning, and continually improving how we support one another. Whether improving physical spaces, expanding staff training, listening to families, or designing programs around each individual's needs, the work continues because every child deserves the opportunity to belong.

At the YMCA of Greater Seattle, we believe communities are strongest when everyone can participate, contribute, and thrive. This year, as we celebrate our 150th anniversary, we also celebrate Disability Pride by recommitting ourselves to continuing to build places where every child can discover who they are, make lifelong memories, build connection, and experience the magic of camp, now and for the next 150 years.