Summer camps are legally required to make reasonable accommodations to accept children with disabilities, U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan announced today.
With summer approaching, Vermont camps are preparing to welcome children. To help ensure that children with disabilities receive the opportunity to attend summer camp, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recently sent the attached flyer to hundreds of summer camps located within the State of Vermont reminding them of their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA").
Under the ADA, summer camps, both private and those run by municipalities, must make reasonable modification to enable campers with disabilities to participate fully in all camp programs and activities. This generally means that children with disabilities are entitled to attend any camp or activity that non-disabled children attend, that camps must evaluate each child on an individual basis, and that camps must train their staff in the requirements of the ADA. Camps are obligated to pay for the cost of any reasonable modifications necessary for children with disabilities to participate in camp activities, and parents should not be charged any additional fee beyond standard camp enrollment costs.
“The law requires camps to provide equal opportunities to children with disabilities whose needs can be reasonably accommodated," U.S. Attorney Nolan remarked. “But of equal importance is that it is the right thing to do. Camps present a tremendous opportunity for positive experiences in childhood, offering environments where children grow in confidence, knowledge, ability and interpersonal skill. No child should be unreasonably denied those opportunities because they have a disability."
Additional information about the ADA is available at www.ada.gov or via phone at the ADA Information Line: 800-514-0301 (voice); 800-514-0383 (TTY). If you believe your civil rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont by visiting https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt and clicking “File a Civil Rights Complaint."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
