County helps make camp more inclusive
SAN JOSE – Youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Santa Clara County are enjoying a more inclusive camp experience due to support from Santa Clara County. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors provided a one-time matching grant to Camp Via West to fund camp facility renovations, including critical accessibility modifications for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. County Supervisor Joe Simitian proposed the grant.
The County’s support enabled Camp Via West to address necessary infrastructure needs. The camp used County funding for the development of a newly renovated sports field, which also include ADA-compliant bathrooms, storage for sports equipment, and a concession stand to provide food and water for campers and spectators at the sports field.
“This should help alleviate some longstanding accessibility and mobility challenges for youth and adults who want to engage in camp activities,” said Simitian. “I’m delighted we’re making the Camp, and our community, more accessible for all.”
One of the few remaining camps serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the region, Camp Via West provides programming and a wide variety of respite and inclusion camps for children and adults in Santa Clara County on a 13.5-acre campus located on County-owned land in the Cupertino foothills. The Camp’s innovative programs are supervised by trained staff who help campers learn new skills, develop meaningful relationships, and build confidence, all while enjoying the outdoors.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for the County to support an inclusive social and recreational space that addresses the immediate needs of the community,” said Bryan Neider, Chief Executive Officer of Via Services Inc. “The support from the County helped us address the accessibility issues and enhance the sports field to allow for more campers to enjoy athletic and outdoor activities.”
Operated by Via Services Inc., an independent nonprofit that has been serving the disability community in the Bay Area since 1945, Camp Via West operates youth, teen, and adult outdoor day and overnight summer camp programs. The camps typically offer program sessions from June to August, specifically designed for young people ages 5 to 17 and specific sessions geared to young adults and adults, including seniors, with a wide array of activities including swimming, arts and crafts, sports and games, and gardening.
Sessions are usually one week long and the camp typically serves approximately 80 campers per session, totaling nearly 800 campers each summer. The camp alternates weeks for children with developmental disabilities and adults with developmental disabilities.
“Our daughter, Zoe (age 19), has been going to Camp Via West and participating in their weekend recreation days since she was 10,” said Los Altos resident Shannon Fallick. “This organization has benefitted Zoe and our family in a myriad of ways. Zoe has grown so much from her experience at Camp Via West, and we, as her family, have gotten some much-needed respite time. I can say with confidence that there is not another recreational organization in our area that provides this level of service and care to the special needs community.”
That sentiment was echoed by San Jose resident Cheryl Snyder. “My son, Adam, has attended Camp Via West for almost 30 years, starting at age 10,” said Snyder. “The opportunity to be away from home in a safe and inclusive environment is one of the many gifts of being a camper. Camp offers Adam and his peers an opportunity to have an away from home, typical camp experience. For Adam, these activities are an opportunity to be independent, to be ‘one of the guys’, and to be included. This feeling of belonging is really the greatest gift Camp Via West offers.”
To learn more about Camp Via West and its events, visit: https://viaservices.org.