Articles on Scouting with special needs and disabilities
This is an excerpt from the Special Needs and Disabilities Inclusion Toolbox being developed by the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee (NSNDC). The Toolbox will replace the 2007 Scouting for Youth with Disabilities Manual. Every willing Scout should have opportunity to get in and onto the water and have fun. Opportunities for recreational time... Continue Reading →
Camping can provide many successes and experiences youth would never get to experience if not for Scouting. Camping with youth who have disabilities can be challenging. Going into the experience with insight can make the experience more successful. Here are a few tips to get parents, the Scout’s leadership, and the Scout prepared for an... Continue Reading →
The national office has recently issued a clarification about youth with special needs sharing a tent with parents if there are health and safety reasons to do so. The statement appears as a “frequently asked question” in the “Youth Protection and Barriers to Abuse FAQs.” (scouting.org/health-and-safety/yp-faqs/) Q. Can I share a tent with my son... Continue Reading →
An edited version of this article also appears in the May/June 2020 issue of Advancement News. Physical disabilities can be accommodated in most cases by an open-minded reading of the requirement, keeping in mind the intent and learning objective of the requirement. Demonstrate/Show – There are many requirements that use the word demonstrate or show. ... Continue Reading →
An edited version of this article also appear in the May/June 2020 issue of Advancement News. Physical disabilities require thorough advance preparation. Every kind of mobility equipment has limitations and, even with mobility equipment, there are places a Scout cannot go unless access provisions are made in advance. There are many activities that a Scout... Continue Reading →
This story has been shared with Scouters nationwide by Charles Dahlquist, National Commissioner, in a recent issue of Scouting Magazine. Joe could be any Scout. This particular Scout attended the National Scout Jamboree last year. While we all face our daily challenges, Joe faces a lot more than most Jamboree attendees. He arrived with a motorized... Continue Reading →
"Scout Jay has serious vision impairment, but he's really excited about the Astronomy Merit Badge. Can he earn it?" Substitute any merit badge for "Astronomy" and you have a common but tricky question. The answer lies in the exact written requirements. Scout Jay must meet the requirements exactly as written, no more and no less. If... Continue Reading →
Beginning in 2001, every Boy Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill included a one-armed archery activity. At the Fort, it used a special one-handed bow-and-arrow fixture in a quonset hut as part of the disAbilities Awareness Challenge. When the Jamboree moved to the Summit in 2013 there was no enthusiasm for installing the fixture on... Continue Reading →
Scouters from all councils are invited attend a bilingual Wood Badge course couducted in both English and American Sign Language (ASL). The Great Salt Lake Council offers this course July 9-14, 2018, at the Monson Training Lodge. More information can be found at https://www.saltlakescouts.org/woodbadge. The course uses a modified curriculum to enable and encourage both... Continue Reading →
Deaf and hard of hearing Scouts, Scouters and family members present new challenges for many units. Units, districts and councils aren't legally obligated to provide a sign language interpreter for deaf participants, and often can't afford a professional, certified interpreter. Yet we want to include everyone in the Scouting experience. We benefit both deaf and... Continue Reading →
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