Beyond Sight . . . To Sound and Touch

by Victor Whitman

The Sentinel-Record, Monday, July 21, 1997
Hot Springs, Arkansas

A group of 55 blind campers of all ages piled into Camp Yorktown Bay on Lake Oauchita last week to take in the great outdoors.

Some just came to relax and stroll amidst the sounds of the camp's 30 acres, getting away from it all. Others wanted to canoe and paddleboat, to swim, play baseball and ride horses, even to learn archery and how to water-ski.

And like other first-timers, most got the hang of it after a few preliminary spills and mishaps. As these campers see it, blindness is no problem when you've got sharp ears.

"You've got to remember that as sighted people we automatically rely on our sense of sight. When you lose that, the other senses pick up," said William Shirley, the state representative for National Camps for Blind Children/Adults.

The blind camp, which is free for ages nine and up, was held this year from June 13-20. Sponsored by Christian Record Services and supported by local businesses, the camp is part of 17 National Camps for Blind Children throughout the United States. The first camp was founded in 1967 in Florida. Shirley said participation has steadily grown over the years, and he expects more than 70 people next year.

"We always get more people than we get financing for," Shirley said, adding the campers also include middle aged and senior citizens. The oldest camper was 74, Shirley said.

During the week, Shirley said, the youngsters use their acute sense of hearing to master the sports. Teaching them, he added, is a little different, but no more difficult; they like to have fun, just like the sighted.

In baseball, for example, the children are trained to listen for a ball that emits a buzzing sound.

"And they swing to the sound," Shirley said, adding a beeper can also be mounted to the back of a target or basketball hoop for archery or a game of basketball. The youngsters learn to water-ski by holding onto a boom before they move on to the standard rope.

Shirley said the campers find swimming and water-skiing challenging if they are inexperienced with the water. But they like it anyway.

"They are a little scared the first time, but afterwards they are good to go" Shirley said. "One little girl came up to me and said, 'Mr. Shirley, my arms are so sore.' And I said, 'Well, that's the price you pay for having fun.'"