Category: Arts & Fun


Jul
2023

Summer Recreation

categories: Accessibility, Arts & Fun, Cognitive Disabilities, Family

Summer is here! Time to enjoy the warmer weather and have fun.

Here are some programs and places to enjoy this summer.

Accessible Cape Cod 

Wheelchair accessible beaches on Cape Cod.

Accessible Pools & Spray Decks 

Outdoor swimming pool lifts are available at all of the State Parks and Recreation Department’s 20 swimming pools. The pools are free. Contact pool directly for information about other site factors affecting accessibility.

Access Recreation New England

Connecting people with disabilities to accessible recreation opportunities

Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

Offers nine miles of walking trails guiding through a variety of field, woodland, and wetland habitats. A quarter-mile, handicap accessible trail and boardwalk along the bank of Indian Brook in Natick. Universally accessible facilities: Nature Center, Restrooms, All Persons Trail.

Mass Dept of Conservation & Recreational Universal Access Program

Provides outdoor recreation opportunities in Massachusetts State Parks for visitors of all abilities. Accessibility to Massachusetts State Parks is achieved through site improvements, specialized adaptive recreation equipment, and accessible recreation programs.

Piers Park Adaptive Sailing

Provides programs for disabled youth and adults aboard 23-foot sonar sailboats on a no charge basis. Serves those with amputations, paralysis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, autism, hearing impaired, sight impaired, intellectual disabilities and other disabilities. Successfully integrates youth with disabilities into summer youth sailing programs.

Smile Mass Local Beach Wheelchair Locations

Smile Mass has both fresh and saltwater beach wheelchairs available across the state. Wheelchair users can access beaches and enjoy the water.

Spaulding Adaptive Sports

Offers adaptive sports and recreation activities in Boston, Cape Cod and the North Shore.  Includes wheelchair tennis, hand cycling, adaptive rowing, waterskiing or windsurfing.

Click on the links for more info. You can go to our Recreation Opportunities for People with Disabilities fact sheet to find more choices for people of all ages, abilities and skill levels.



May
2023

INDEX Summer Camp Resources 2023

categories: Arts & Fun, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism, Blindness & Visual Impairment, Brain Injury, Cognitive Disabilities, Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Down Syndrome, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Physical Disabilities

We have updated Summer Camp resources for children with disabilities. Camp listings are for day and residential camps. Camps are located in Massachusetts, New England, and beyond. Check our listings for specific camp information and openings. Cost varies by type of camp and programs offered.

Camps offer a big range of programs and activities. Camps may have available openings and wait lists. Each camp has its own eligibility requirements. If you have questions, please contact each camp for details.

INDEX Summer Camp Resources 2023


Dec
2020

Celebrating Holidays During COVID-19

categories: Arts & Fun, Family, Parenting

This holiday season will be different for most of us.  Here are some resources to help families cope with the challenges that COVID-19 brings to friends and families.  Practicing safe social distancing and limiting gathering sizes is important.  Practicing safety measures such as mask wearing and hand washing can reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Many families and groups of friends are planning on holding virtual parties and get togethers.  Zoom, FaceTime, Google Duo, Skype, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat are some options. Scheduling a get together works best so that people can all be together virtually at the same time.  You can send invitations.

Popular Science has some suggestions for hosting a virtual party or get together.

Holiday Resources:


Nov
2017

Building Healthy Friendships

categories: Arts & Fun

Children on the grass laying in a circle
(Photo from Wikipedia- Creative Commons license):

As a nurse, I enjoy helping people to lead happy, healthy lives.  Having friends is one way we can make our lives more joyful. Friends can talk and relax together, and have fun together! Having friends is not always easy, though.  We do not always know everything we need to know about how to make friends. We also may not know how to be a good friend.

Here are a few tips to help.

  • If you would like to make new friends, tell somebody! Find somebody you trust, like your mom, dad, brother, sister or caregiver. They can help you think about:
  • What you are looking for in a friend.
  • Things you like to do, and things you may want to try.
  • If you like to spend time with groups of people or if you like to spend time with one person at a time.
  • Make a plan for making friends! Think about places you to go and things you like to do near where you live.
  • You can look in the local newspaper or web sites for special events and activities that interest you.
  • Maybe try joining a sports team or try a fitness class like Zumba or karate.
  • Volunteer at a school or soup kitchen and you can make friends and help other people at the same time!
  • Do you like to read or watch movies? You could start a movie or book club.
  • Practice! It may sound silly, but sometimes making new friends can make us feel nervous.

Try to practice talking to a make-believe new friend in front of a mirror or with a person you trust. Then, when you meet a new friend, you will have ideas of what to say.

This can make you feel less nervous.Then you can enjoy yourself when you are with a new friend!

  • Get ready! This will help you to feel good about yourself when you meet someone new.
  • Make sure you are clean and fresh with good personal hygiene.
  • Wear clean clothes that you feel good wearing.
  • Comb your hair and brush your teeth!
  • Keep working at it! Making new friends can take time. It can take a few visits with a new friend to feel comfortable together.
  • Talk with your friend about how often you would like to see each other.
  • You can talk about what you both like to do, and take turns choosing what you do or where you go.
  • Ask for help! Sometimes friends do not always agree. This is normal! People are not exactly the same and do not always like the same things.
  • If you and your friend disagree try to focus on the things you have in common.
  • If you are having trouble with a friend, talk to somebody you trust about it. They may be able to help you and your friend work through the trouble.
  • Know the signs of a bad friendship.

A friend should NOT:

  • Make fun of you or call you names
  • Hit you or touch you in a way you do not like
  • Lie or tell you things that are not true
  • Always want to know where you are and what you are doing
  • Keep asking for money or gifts

Tell somebody you trust right away if a friend is doing one of these things! You can choose not to be friends with a person who treats you this way.

Making new friends may seem hard at first. You may need to give it a few tries to find someone you have things in common with. Keep trying and soon you will be relaxing and having fun and enjoying time with your new friends!

For more information, visit:  Widening the Circle


Jan
2017

Winter Activities

categories: Accessibility, Arts & Fun

icon of a sit-skier Staying active in the winter is hard. You want to stay warm and cozy inside. But it’s important to stay active year round. Just because it’s cold and snowy outside doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors. There are many fun things to do outside. There are outdoor activities for people of all abilities to enjoy. There is skiing, sit-skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, kick-sledding, and sled hockey.

In western Massachusetts, CHD lists activities like bowling, skiing, sled hockey, and wheelchair basketball.

To find information on outdoor recreation in Massachusetts look at The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

For fun sports programs in New England that offer downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing, check out: the Winter Adaptive Sports & Recreation Activities for People with Disabilities

If you want to stay indoors you can enjoy bowling, dancing, basketball, and drama. Other activities available are sensory friendly movies and theatre, and adaptive music programs.

The Carroll Center has a listing of Audio Described Theatre shows and schedules.

SPED Child and Teen lists events in Massachusetts including arts and theatre, music and dance, sports, museums, and movies. They also list sensory-friendly arts, museums, movies, and story times.

Find Sensory friendly movies in the Boston area at Sensory Friendly Films.

Find Sensory friendly movies on the Cape at Chatham Orpheum Theatre.


Aug
2016

Autism Swim and Water Safety

categories: Arts & Fun, Autism

Young child using kickboard and guided by a female swim teacher in a pool
Young child being guided by a swim teacher

When a child is diagnosed with Autism, the last thing parents are thinking about is swimming and water safety. But, there is information that tells us they should.

  • 9 of 10 children who die before age 14 do so by drowning.
    • National Autism Association, 2012
  • Drowning is a known danger for children who are 1 to 4 years old. The risk decreases with age for most children. For many children with Autism, the risk does not decrease with age.
  • Drowning is the number one cause of death for children with autism age 14 and under.
    • National Autism Association, 2012

Why are children with Autism at greater risk?

Many children with Autism are drawn to water. Scientists and researchers do not know why.

Running away from safe places is a problem for many with autism. This behavior stops happening around age 4 for typical children. For many children with Autism, it continues well beyond age 4.

Professionals rarely teach parents about the risk of children running from safe environments.

Language delays and sensory problems can make learning to swim difficult. Many children with Autism learn differently. What they hear may not be what is said. What they have to say may not be heard.

Sensory differences are also a challenge. Water temperature. Noise level. Touch. All can get in the way of learning.

Autism-specific swim programs are hard to find. Typical swim programs may not be best. Some children may need trained teachers. One-on-one teaching may be necessary.

What can parents do?

Manage the surroundings. Make your home safe. Use fences. Use door and window alarms. Consider a tracking bracelet for your child. LoJack Safety Net is waterproof and can be tracked under water.

If you have a pool, call a professional to help with making it safer.

Speak to your local fire and police departments. Be sure they know you have a child at a higher risk for running from safe environments.

Work with your ABA provider and/or school system to develop a plan at home and at school. Make sure plans are in place. How can your child be kept safe? What is in place to make running from safe settings more difficult? What is the plan if your child is missing? Ask your school or ABA provider to work on words such as “DANGER” and “STOP”.

Tell everyone who works with your child if your child is drawn to water. Identify nearby water sources. List them in your plan.

Helpful Resources


Jun
2016

Why Visit a Museum?

categories: Accessibility, Arts & Fun

kids touching baby head sculpturePersons with disabilities can:

  • Learn the past
  • Talk about big and small issues
  • Share ideas
  • Listen to others
  • Make things to share your ideas

The community gains:

  • A place for everyone
  • A place for everyone to learn new things together
  • A place to share ideas

I lead an organization called Our Space Our Place, Inc., an after school program for youth who are blind. We visit many museums. Our students learn about different cultures. They write stories and poems. They talk about the stories in art. They talk about their favorite paintings and sculptures with their families and friends. Taking a tour or making art opens new worlds.
For more information about museum programs for people with disabilities contact:

  • Museum of Fine Arts
    • Hannah Goodwin
    • Phone: 617-369-3189
    • TTY: 617-369-3395 or
    • Email: access@mfa.org

Jun
2016

Nature Play Blog

categories: Arts & Fun

two boys playing on stonesWhat is Nature Play?  Nature Play is going outside to play and explore.  Kids spend more time indoors than ever before. Kids who play outside more often sleep better.  Those who play outside are sick less than those who stay inside.

Nature Play helps kids be happy and creative.  It shows how to solve problems and deal with stress.

Nature play uses the colors, textures, sights, and smells of the outdoors. There are many ways to make your own areas in your backyard! As a mom of five children, here are some cheap ideas that we have around:

  • trees, flowers, and plants;
  • water;
  • sand and stones;
  • seek and finds;
  • music; and
  • bug hotels.

For more information, please see: What is Nature Play?


Aug
2015

Arts for Everyone!

categories: Arts & Fun

a concert with musicians on stage and families in the audienceWhile some still think of theaters as a place for quiet adults, there are many shows open to everyone! People of all ages, young and old, and children and adults with a wide range of likes and dislikes are welcome at many shows, concerts and performances.

What are “Sensory Friendly” Performances?

Just a quick search on Google for “sensory friendly” leads to over 6.5 million hits! There are sensory performances at movie theaters, big stages in major cities, and small community and college shows. There many ways people with disabilities to enjoy the arts in the community.

What are “Sensory Friendly Concerts®?”

“Sensory Friendly Concerts®” are spreading around the country. CJ Shiloh, a Board Certified Music Therapist, and her non-profit “The Musical Autist” are making music concerts available to everyone.  Sensory Friendly Concerts® create a welcoming and accepting space for people who love music and with any type of disability or differences. These concerts are adapted to be friendly for children or adults with sensitive sensory systems. Noise level, lights and seating are comfortable for people with autism spectrum disorders. The artist may be a professional artist, a music therapist, or a musician who wants to share their love for music. Sometimes the performer has a disability. The concert includes the support of a music therapist to share the love of music with everyone in an accepting and inclusive space.

Where do they happen?

While Sensory Friendly Concerts® are an aspect of Community Music Therapy, there are other kinds of shows that are sensory friendly. Check your local listings for organizations that offer these kinds of shows. In Boston, you will find them at

  • Local colleges and universities in Boston
  • Broadway shows coming through town
  • Local movie theaters

How can I get involved?

There are many ways you can get involved.

  • Attend local sensory friendly shows!
  • Let the organizers know that your family wants to be involved in the arts scene!
  • Learn more about the Sensory Friendly Concert series by exploring The Musical Autist.
  • Talk with a Board Certified Music Therapist in your area to make your program more sensory friendly.

Whether enjoying Sensory Friendly Concerts® or going to a sensory friendly showing of a film at the movie theater, children who are sensitive to dark spaces and loud or startling sounds can enjoy the arts with their families. As opportunities like this increase, I look forward to seeing more arts experiences that are welcoming to all children, adults and families.  We need more family friendly open mics, accessible performance venues that welcome everyone and arts performances that invite the audience to participate, rather than be quiet.

To learn more visit The Musical Autist .


Jun
2015

Recreation Programs for People with Disabilities in Massachusetts

categories: Accessibility, Arts & Fun

bike riders
As the parent of a young man with special needs, I know how important it is for people with disabilities to be able to learn and take part in sporting and recreational activities with family and friends.  These activities help people be healthy and happy; and form social connections.  Massachusetts has a wide variety of adaptive sport and recreational programs.  Some are free and some charge a fee.  Most programs that charge a fee offer scholarships.  Here is a sample of the many programs that are offered to people with disabilities and their families. Now find a program that you enjoy, get out there, and have fun!

Sailing

Horseback Riding

Variety of Summer and Winter Activities

Skiing

Here are two additional websites that list programs in
Massachusetts and all over the United States
Sped Child and Teen
MNIP Fact Sheet Recreation Opportunities For People With Disabilities