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Description
The purpose of this capstone project was to expand access to social participation and community integration experiences for children with disabilities in order to address the gap in access when compared with age-level peers. In order to accomplish this, I developed and administered summer camp programming in partnership with Easterseals Crossroads (ESC), a nonprofit organization that serves individuals with disabilities across the lifespan. In collaboration with a multitude of clinicians, students, topic experts, and organizational members of ESC, I developed camp programming and staff training for Camp QUEST. Following program development, I coordinated and guided the counselors, clinicians, volunteers, students, interpreters, and community experiences throughout the administration of 6 weeks of camp programming. Through developed surveys measuring key outcomes like environment, belonging, quality of life, identity, and social participation, we found our programming to be meaningful and engaging to campers and families, many of which reported an appropriate and accessible environment that met their needs and facilitated an enjoyable social and community experience. The field of occupational therapy is uniquely positioned to address this gap in services and accessibility, as our scope and skillset prepare us to recognize and adapt to the needs of different communities in order to expand access to social experiences. Following the completion of this project, we found Camp QUEST to be successful in expanding access to social experiences for children with disabilities in an appropriate, safe, and supportive environment that can be adapted to meet the needs of each population.
Graduation Date
2026
Keywords
Social Participation, Community Integration, Community Programming, Children with Disabilities, Accessible Social Environment
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
Degree Type
Book
Site Mentor
Kristyn Greenawald, Director of Integrated Children's Services
Comments
Link to presentation: https://youtu.be/KHAMugJUKpY?si=MWNVWeOpsR3dEKRD