Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind

Spend 2 nights in hotels in Chicago and practice big city transportation, including trains, the EL, taxi’s, ride share share services, restaurant etiquette, museums, and more! A great time, and great experience with different cultures and supervised by staff members who are also blind or low vision. Supervised by staff members with experience in Chicago and certifications in Orientation and Mobility. Participation by director’s permission only.

About Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind:
Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind provides summer camp opportunities for children and youth who are blind or low vision. We focus on “skills of blindness” that are often missed at school or home or always need extra attention: gardening, cooking, social skills, personal organization skills, outdoor skills, adapted science, adapted sports, engaging in public spaces on field trips, money handling, personal care, mobility with a white cane and much more!

Between 50 and 75% of our staff are blind or low vision, giving your child or teenager the best in mentorship from other, slightly older role models who are living a successful life as a blind person! We also do our level best to be sure our staff are diverse people, are thoroughly background checked, and learn the skills they need before camp starts to take care of your campers well.

Perhaps the most important skill we impress upon our staff is to NOT help too much! Kids need to find the ways to do things that work for them, and they are the only ones who can accomplish this. Our staff will encourage them, but they try not to do it FOR them. Your kids need to know where their cane is, where their toothbrush is, and what they need to do in the morning to have a great day at camp. They need to keep track of their swim suit and towel! They need to learn how to manage to eat well on a low budget as that is what is available to them on Social Security when they are adults – not all of our kids are going to get jobs right away out of high school or even college.

Gardening helps them learn to grow food, even on their apartment balcony, and eat what they grow and not have to pay for it at the store. Learning to cook economically – like roasting a whole chicken instead of just chicken breast meat – will help them eat healthy food on a budget. All of these skills, and especially being able to move around comfortably with their cane, are critical to a successful independent life!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Gwen Botting, Executive Director, at gwen@oubmichigan.org or 616-755-2221.

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