Henry and Gabriel joined children from all over Victoria in Myrniong last week for a school holiday camp with a difference.
Guide Dogs Victoria (GDV) held the special sports camp for children with vision impairment at the Lake Dewar Lodge YMCA camp site.
It was designed to give the children a chance to take part in sports and learn new skills.
GDV manager of children’s mobility services Laura Hunt said the camp was about breaking down barriers so the children could play sport at home, at school and in the community. “It’s giving them the opportunity to
play and learn with other kids who face the same challenges,” Ms Hunt said. The camp aimed to build basic sporting skills where the children were not restricted by time and where they felt comfortable, she added.
Nine different sports were played, including blind cricket, basketball, soccer and goalball. Modified strategies included equipment such as balls with bells in them and guide ropes for athletics.
“A lot of it’s about communication and encouraging them to talk to each other and be specific, and that’s where orientation and directional language come in,”
Ms Hunt said. “It’s a huge thing for them to come and learn with other kids and not be isolated.”
The camp is part of the Children’s Orientation and Mobility Service at Guide Dogs Victoria.
For more details, visit www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au.
