Summer Camps Reminded of Requirement to Accommodate Children with Disabilities

NASHVILLE – United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis announced today that his office has contacted summer camps throughout Middle Tennessee to remind them of their obligation under federal law to make reasonable accommodations to accept children with disabilities.

With summer approaching, parents are beginning to think about summer camps. To help ensure that children with disabilities receive the opportunity to attend summer camp, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recently sent a letter and a flyer to scores of summer camps located within the Middle District of Tennessee reminding them of their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). 

Under the ADA, both private summer camps and those run by municipalities must make reasonable modifications to enable campers with disabilities to participate fully in all camp programs and activities. This generally means that children with disabilities are entitled to attend any camp or activity that non-disabled children attend, that camps must evaluate each child on an individual basis, and that camps must train their staff in the requirements of the ADA. Camps are obligated to pay for the cost of any reasonable modifications necessary for disabled children to participate in camp activities, and parents should not be charged any additional fee beyond standard camp enrollment costs. 

“Summer camps present tremendous growth opportunities for children to learn independence, try new things and gain self-confidence,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “Middle Tennessee summer camps should afford those same opportunities to disabled children whose needs can be reasonably accommodated. It is the right thing to do, and it is required by federal law.”    

Additional information about the ADA is available at www.ada.gov.

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