KS: SUMMER CAMP TEACHES CODING TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Click here for updates on this story
PARKVILLE, Missouri (KMBC) — Vision loss isn’t stopping these kids and teenagers from taking leaps of faith this summer.
Alphapointe hosts various events throughout the year to teach young people with visual impairments new skills. After a coding camp helped teens, many without sight, learn how to build websites, campers are taking on new challenges this week.
The feat they faced on Monday? A 40-foot climb.
“I finally was able to make it to the top of the rock wall, because the year before, I was so close, but I looked down,” and fear took over, said Aaliyah Green, an Alphapointe camper. “Last year, I powered through … I’m really short, so I had to, like, climb all the way up there to ring the bell, and I did it, and I was really happy.”
All of the thrill-seekers, many returning for another year of Alphapointe’s Adventure Camp, have a spectrum of sight, from slight to none.
They all know how to navigate with expandable canes and courage, but the skills they learn at camp don’t necessarily come from everyday tasks.
With the help of trained experts, and the support of their peers, the campers take on new experiences, like ziplining, horseback riding and a ropes course.
“There has never been a time where I felt like they weren’t making progress. They’ve always made progress,” said Rich Yamamoto, a camp guide. “They leave this place, or any other camp, more confident than they did coming in.”
And when it comes to finding pure fun, anyone can see — Alphapointe’s Adventure Camp is the place.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.