U.S. SPACE CAMP® for Visually Impaired Proves You Don’t Have to See the Stars to Reach For Them

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. --- It’s the kind of program that gives hope where there was none. It inspires. It challenges. It changes lives.

This week, 157 very special children will be taking part in a very special SPACE CAMP® at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Some have conditions such as cancer of the eye, glaucoma, or retinitis pigmentosa. Others have vision impairments ranging from moderate to severe. A few have been completely blind since birth.

The students, based on age, will attend Space Camp®, Space Academy®, Advanced Space Academy® or Aviation Challenge®. During the course of the five-days, the students will be placed in situations that require them to make decisions, solve problems and work in a team environment. They’ll train like astronauts or fighter pilots, depending on the program they attend. Some will participate in simulated shuttle missions where they will take on such roles as pilot, commander and mission specialist. Others will undergo realistic flight training, learning the basics of aeronautics, aerodynamics and propulsion as they prepare for combat flights over hostile territory.

“For some of these kids, the fact they even get here is a story within itself,” according to Dan Oates, Space Camp consultant to programs for the visually impaired. “Many of them have fund-raisers months in advance in order to pay their tuition and transportation,” he adds.

In it’s twelfth year, more than a thousand students from around the world have taken part in previous U.S. Space Camps for the visually impaired. This year the mix includes students from Australia, Canada and Mexico. Many are returning for their second or third time, and at least one student will be making his seventh trip to Space Camp!

Oates says there is a bond that quickly develops between the trainees. “The ones who have similar sight problems get together and compare notes. You can’t pull them apart,” he says.

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U.S. Space & Rocket Center Sept. 22, 2001

It’s described as the “ultimate hands-on experience”. Campers are pushed beyond their limits and comfort zones to experience new sensations and learning styles. “No one says ‘you can’t do it’ here because you’re blind,” Oates says. “We remove the barriers and you’d be amazed what’s possible once that happens.”

Removing the barriers includes making use of special equipment to meet the special needs of these trainees. All simulator equipment, including push-button panels, are equipped with Braille lettering, plus the operations and mission manuals the students use are also prepared either with large type or in Braille, depending on the student’s needs. It means special training for camp counselors who willingly go the extra mile to make certain each camper has a positive experience.

It means inspiring these special students to stretch themselves further than ever before It means challenging them to climb to new heights It means changing lives forever.

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(EDITORS: The contact for this release is Al Whitaker, Media Relations Manager, U.S. Space & Rocket Center. 256-721-7160. E-mail: media@spacecamp.com)

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Last Revision: July 30, 2002
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