Fredonia camp gives visually impaired kids ability to participate in summer activities

FREDONIA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The dog days of summer are best spent cooling off in the mud.

At least, that’s what Abe thinks.

“My name is Abe and I’m 8 years old,” said Abe.

He’s just one of many kids attending the Albert and Ann Deshur JCC Rainbow Day Camp.

“Every time I squat, it feels weird,” said Abe. “It was kinda fun. I got really muddy while I was doing it.”

Abe isn’t exactly like the other kids at this camp, though. Born with a degenerative eye disorder, Abe is partially vision impaired. As he gets older, he may lose more of his eyesight. At this camp, along with the Vision Forward Association, Abe doesn’t have to worry about that.

“This is just a critical time period for them to be able to see how the community can be accessible to them,” said Jaclyn Borchardt, the CEO of Vision Forward.

Instead, Abe is surrounded by those with similar experiences.

“All kids should be able to experience something like this, no matter what their abilities are,” said Lenny Kass, the executive director of Albert and Ann Deshur JCC Rainbow Day Camp. “We provide the activities. We provide the sun today and look at how much fun the kids are having.”

So, whether it's going down the mud slide or cooling off in the shade, at this camp, kids can be kids.

“It’s just a place where you can just hang out and do whatever you want. They have everything here,” said Abe. “I’m not scared.”

And Abe can be just Abe.

“That speaks volumes,” said Kass.