Experiences and perspectives of individuals involved in Camp Abilities: A scoping review

Abstract

Camp Abilities (CA) is an educational camp for children and youth with visual impairment (VI). Since its inauguration in 1996, CA has expanded nationally and internationally with three central objectives: (1) to offer a specific summer camp for youth with VI, exposing them to different sports through adapted teaching and modified equipment; (2) to enable young teachers to gain experience in teaching adapted physical activity; and (3) to conduct research on a geographically dispersed population. A first systematic review was carried out to summarize 24 quantitative studies conducted on CA. This second review aimed to identify and summarize qualitative studies conducted at CA ( n = 16 articles). Using thematic analysis, a qualitative synthesis was conducted to identify themes and main findings. Narrative conclusions were extracted from the studies to present the perspectives and lived experiences through the voice of the participants involved, namely, the athletes with visual impairment (AVI), the stakeholders (directors, coaches), and the parents of the athletes with VI. Findings indicated that AVI have reported meaningful experiences enabling them to connect with peers with VI, have experimented with a wide range of sports, outdoor activities, and self-determination opportunities through adapted teaching. The directors reported that CA had enabled them to develop a community service combining teaching and research on adapted physical activity and VI. Finally, parents reported that CA had helped their child overcome barriers to physical activity.