LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Around two dozen visually impaired Jefferson County Public Schools students got the chance to take advantage of the great weather and enjoy a number of fun summer activities. 

What You Need To Know

  • Jefferson County Public Schools students with visual impairments are learning valuable life skills

  • Camp Vision is free for families and is hosted near the beginning of the school year

  • It lasts three and a half weeks

  • The camp is open to all grade levels

Camp Vision is a three and a half week long summer camp for students of all grade levels. The camp gives children opportunities to explore and learn skills to better navigate the world as they grow up. Social interaction, teamwork and problem solving are on the agenda Tuesday for an outing at the park.

 “I think my favorite thing is when we are going to use the water balloons,” third grader Aneesa Sadiq said. 

Her mother, who was one of the many parents present, explains what makes camps like this so important. 

Sydel Rhema (Right) and her daughter Aneesa Sadiq (Left). (Spectrum News 1/Mason Brighton)

“She’s making friends here that have similar struggles to her and it’s really great because she doesn’t see that at school,” Sydel Rhema said. “I think it was really, really helpful for her to see kids that have similar issues and make that deeper bond with them because it can be really hard when you’re different.”

Rhema adds she doesn’t treat her daughter’s eyesight as a problem, but as what makes her unique.

“She can come to camp every summer and see all of these beautiful children and see that they all have different issues, but they’re very similar to her,” Rhema said. 

Other parents expressed what it means for the district to offer a camp tailored to the needs of their children. 

“I think it’s incredible. It’s amazing that all the kids get together and get to hang out with kids with visual impairments and the whole entire camp made accommodations for them. It’s really awesome,” Christine Deason, a parent of one of the students, said. 

Deason’s daughter Mille, a second grader, has limited eyesight and is near sighted. 

“I just think that it’s so important and so incredible that we have this community, that all the parents can get together and all the kids get to play,” Deason said.  

JCPS offered this free course during the summer a few weeks before the start of the school year. It’s also completely free for families to sign up.

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