NSCIA Houston: Camp Xtreme

Kids across the world are spending their summers playing video games, but thanks to the Houston chapter, a group of Texas kids in wheelchairs got a chance to see what life is like inside those games. This year NSCIA Houston partnered with the TIRR Foundation to host Camp Xtreme, an overnight sports-oriented summer camp for kids with disabilities or mobility impairments. The theme of this year’s camp, which ran from Jul. 13-18, was “Game On: Bringing Video Games to Life.” In addition to all the usual wheelchair sports and activities, the 43 campers, ages 8-21, took part in real-life recreations of classic games like Pac-Man, Centipede, Fruit Ninja and more.

TIRR Foundation has sponsored the camp since its inception in 1999, but this is the first year NSCIA Houston has partnered with it. Chapter member Genny Gomez coordinated a team of other members to recruit, organize, plan and run the camp. Now in her fifth year with the camp, Gomez, 31, says the camp is one of her favorite parts of being a recreational therapist.

“Camp is something fun for everybody,” she says. “It’s fun for the staff and it’s fun for the campers. It gets you out of the office life while still allowing me an opportunity to continue my therapy and recreation somewhere other than a hospital or a gym.”

As much as the camp is about providing a fun week for the campers, it actually achieves much more. Would-be campers must say they are independent, but often show up lacking critical skills or knowledge. “We had a kid who had been doing his bowel program in bed for four years because that was all he knew how to do,” she says. “We took the time on the first day and we set him down and said this is how you do your bowel program and this is how you do it from now on.”

That kind of help and instruction, along with the huge peer support that results from a staff full of returning campers and SCI professionals, can be invaluable. “It’s life-changing for some of these campers because they thought they were doing everything as well as they could, and then they find that somebody else is doing it an easier way,” she says.

The campers aren’t the only beneficiaries, according to chapter director Rafferty Laredo, who has been involved with the camp for over 15 years. “For the clinicians and the people who are not wheelchair users, it is an opportunity to experience a day in the life of a person in a wheelchair and also what their caregivers go through on a daily basis,” he says. “It really gives us an appreciation for what life is like for those who are family members and those who are helping people with disabilities.”

Gomez says the funniest reactions come from the campers’ parents. “This is some of our campers’ first week away from their parents in their entire life, so the campers are gung ho about saying goodbye to their moms, and all these moms want to go down to the cabin and make their kids’ beds for them,” she says. “We pretty much have to push the parents out the door and tell them to just show up on Friday.”

A concerted outreach effort this year brought in a lot of new campers from around the state, but also meant a few applicants had to be turned away. Gomez hopes to add a spring break camp next year to build on the momentum generated this year.

“It is truly an eye-opening experience,” says Laredo. “It’s also really inspiring to watch these kids blossom and go and thrive in a barrier-free situation where they can explore and have a good time and never be limited.”

Spotlight: Houston

by John Sage

My Take
A booming economy may not be that sexy, but it has helped make Houston an unexpected multicultural gem. Only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters than Houston, and the Port of Houston handles more international tonnage than any other U.S. port. That means lots of jobs. People come from everywhere to work here. The result is one of America’s most diverse populations. Part of the allure is cheap housing. If you want to build your accessible McMansion, Houston’s all-directional sprawl could put it within your budget. There is plenty of affordable housing spread across Houston’s 600 square miles as well.

Yes, it’s hot, but nearly everything is air conditioned. I move from my air-conditioned car to air-conditioned buildings and back to my car. When it rains, it pours, but there is plenty of covered parking. Luckily, Houston’s weather is predictable, so you can easily plan around it.

Skinny on the City
As a second generation native Houstonian, let me assure you: the biggest city in Texas has a lot more to offer than its reputation may suggest — especially for wheelchair users. As a travel agent, I’ve traveled to hundreds of cities across the world, and I can honestly say that the combination of Houston’s relative youth as a city and near total absence of anything resembling a hill make it one of the more accessible cities around.

Things to Do/Places to Go
I enjoy taking advantage of the lull in traffic provided by quiet weekend mornings to get out for lengthy scenic handcycling along Buffalo Bayou, the main waterway that divides Houston. This area offers wide, paved trails for cyclers and pedestrians. You can follow it downtown through Memorial Park — one of the largest urban parks in the States — and through many neighborhoods to get a good feel for the heart of Houston.

Don’t miss Houston’s huge museum district that boasts 20 museums, many of them free or free at certain times. The theater district has nine performing arts organizations and six performance halls, including opera, ballet, theater and symphony. Having all these venues makes it especially convenient for the adventurous wheeler and tourist. For a more commercial experience, the Galleria has nearly 400 retailers spread out in its air-conditioned 3 million square feet.

NASA’s Space Center Houston is only 45 minutes away. All the attractions are accessible, including the tram the regular tours use. Buy your tickets online to save money, or consider a Houston CityPASS for discounted admission to the Space Center, the Downtown Aquarium, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo or Boardwalk, and either the Museum of Fine arts or Children’s Museum — five destinations for $49 (or $39 for kids). Public transit includes buses, trams and accessible vans, but Houston is definitely a driving city. Having your own ride makes life here much easier, and you don’t have to worry about disabled parking: It is plentiful.

Health Care
TIRR Memorial Hermann is one of the finest rehab hospitals in the country and serves as an unofficial hub of the area’s SCI culture. Cutting-edge therapy opportunities and knowledgeable experts in every SCI-related field make it a true boon for those of us in chairs who live here. TIRR is a part of the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world.

Must See, Must Do:
Favorite Restaurants: You can’t go wrong with Pappas Brothers Steakhouse located near the Galleria. For something a little more affordable, I prefer The Red Lion Pub, the most authentic British dining in Houston. Like nearly every restaurant in Houston, both have wheelchair accessible entrances and wheelchair accessible bathrooms.

Favorite Venue: Every February, Houston’s football stadium becomes home to the largest rodeo in the world. Last year’s attendance was over 2.5 million over three weeks. In addition to rodeo events, there are carnival rides, petting zoos, a variety of regional cuisines, western wear shopping, and top-notch live music performances.