This site contains articles written for Abilities Digest, the quarterly publication of the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee of the Boy Scouts of America.
About Able Scouts
Abilities Digest – Late Winter 2020
This is the first issue of Abilities Digest for 2020: the "late winter" edition. Abilities Digest V7 n1Download Here is a summary of the contents: Adapting Activities: Tranquility Base: a safe space; Philmont’s Zia Experience for youth with special needs this summerEnhancing Awareness: Training conference at Philmont this summer.Adapting Advancement: Changes to youth registration beyond... Continue Reading →
National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee
Last year we announced our new committee name: the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee (NSNDC). We also welcomed Warren Wenner as the new chair for the NSNDC. Warren took over from Tony Mei at the 2019 BSA National Annual Meeting. Warren served 34 years as a professional Scouter and has served on both our... Continue Reading →
Web Site on Neurodiverse Scouting
Scouters in Australia and New Zealand are collecting information to aid Scouts with neurological conditions like ADHD, autism, and others that impact their Scouting experience: https://neurodiversescouts.com.
Winter 2019 Abilities Digest
We have just completed the Winter 2019 issue of Abilities Digest. It will be distributed to the email list shortly. abd-v06n2r5Download Here is a summary of the contents: Welcome our new National Committee Chair, Warren Wenner.Training opportunities at Seabase this winter and Philmont this spring.Philmont offers a new experience for Scouts with special needs.Dori Hammer... Continue Reading →
Notes from Jamboree Participants
The Communications and Inclusion activity at the 2019 World Scout Jamboree collected hundreds of written comments from participants all over the world. Volunteer Jennifer Allred has curated this collection and is posting them - with English translations as needed - to the "Unlock a New World through Inclusion" Facebook page. The comments provide a truly... Continue Reading →
Spring 2019 Issue of Abilities Digest
Volume 6, no. 1, of Abilities Digest is now available. Here is a summary of the contents: Adapting Activities: The Chief Scout Executive speaks on Scouting with disabilities and special needs; summer activities for Scouts with special needs. Enhancing Awareness: Revised Special Needs and Disabilities Introduction now available; Philmont training program on special needs... Continue Reading →
BSA offers revised Special Needs and Disabilities Introduction
The national office has released a slightly revised version of the "Introduction to Working With Scouts with Special Needs and Disabilities," item #510-071. It is now available on this web site and should also be available from the Disabilities page of Scouting.org.
Disability Adaptations at Philmont Training Center
The COPE course was not the only focus of disability adaptations at Philmont Training Center last summer. Instructors and participants in the DIVERSEability and DisABILITY training course experienced several other adaptations. Long-time PTC instructor Scott Hellen (on left) was pleased to find the classrooms already prepared for individuals in wheelchairs. In a previous summer the PTC... Continue Reading →
