CAMP ABILITIES WORLD, Brockport, NY (2026)

01/05/2026

It’s a long distance from Baltimore, Maryland to Cameron, Arizona, but Coach Zoilo Luces, PhD, has made the trip annually for the past four years, to participate with Camp Abilities Four Corners (CAFC). Coach Z (as he is known at Camp) has been an Orientation and Mobility Specialist for 10 years, is a Certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, and a Certified Special Educator. He brings years of experience working with children with blindness /visual impairment.

Coach Z attended several Camp Abilities, but when he met Vicki Numkena, Director of CAFC, and heard her vision for a new Camp, he immediately said “Please sign me up!” He states his experience at CAFC has “been nothing short of exceptional.” His favorite memories include seeing athletes achieve something they once thought impossible…whether navigating a trail, playing a new sport, or simply finding confidence in their independence. Coach Z’s research project, to be published in the Journal of Visual Impairment/Blindness, is titled “Beyond the Game: Exploring Life Skills Development Among Athletes and Coaches at Camp Abilities Four Corners.”

His conclusion: CAFC “is a data-driven, replicable model that meaningfully supports educational equity and inclusion.” When not sharing his awesome talents, Coach Z loves traveling with his family, and spending time at the beach. He is a superb coach, never says no when asked to help out, and exemplifies the can-do, joyful attitude at CAFC.

Photos include Coach Z with student athlete sitting in the shallow river and laughing and Coach Z with student athletes and other coaches sitting on a raft moving down the river with a backdrop of 1000-foot high cliffs and a bright sun. Additional photos are Coach Z driving and student athlete sitting in golf cart on the golf course and Coach Z assisting student athlete with a yoga pose.

12/20/2025

"Let us move beyond sight - and toward a future where everybody is expected to move, self-advocate, thrive, and belong." edited by Dr. Lauren Lieberman and Dr. Pamela Beach from SUNY Brockport! The Special Fall 2025 Issue: Physical Activity for Individuals with Visual Impairment or Deafblindness , Vol. 70, Issue 4, of the Visual Impairment and DeafBlind Education Quarterly is available online and you can check it out at http://dvi.uberflip.com/i/1541912-vidbeq-70-4-fall-2025/9?

12/09/2025

Camp Webber in Anchorage, Alaska is getting ready for their 2026 camp and looking for volunteer counselors! Volunteers are requested to be there from July 11th - July 18th, 2026 and room and board is provided throughout training and camp! For information and to apply by January 15th, 2026 at https://sites.google.com/odu.edu/campwebber and get ready to have the time of your life with awesome athletes!

Photos include a coach helping an athlete kick a soccer ball, a group photo of athletes and coaches on the ice rink smiling, and a group photo of athletes and coaches smiling and standing in a circle with their canes pointing to the middle.

12/02/2025

Today is Giving Tuesday and a great day to donate to Camp Abilities World who serve athletes who are blind, visually impaired, or deafblind. We're so thankful to everyone who takes the time to volunteer, participate, and donate to the great organizations across the world. Each camp is their own non-profit organization and relies heavily on donations, thus Camp Abilities World is excited to be helping the camps in any way they can (financially, resources, partnerships, etc.)!

Instead of buying your coffee tomorrow, consider donating to Camp Abilities World and/or any other camp organization found at https://campabilitiesworld.com/camps/. Thank you for being a part of our Camp Abilities family and have a terrific Tuesday!🥰⛺️🫶

Photo includes two athletes holding onto the pool wall, smiling, and practicing their flutter kick in the water. Additional text says Giving Tuesday, Donate Today, with the Camp Abilities World URL website listed below it.

12/01/2025

With Giving Tuesday 3 days away, we are thankful for every Director, Assistant Director, Sport Specialist, Administrative Assistants, Coaches, Volunteers, Athletes, their families, and the thousands of donors who help each camp run smoothly! We couldn't do it without everyone working together 🩵

There are 35 Camp Abilities across the world and we're excited to break in 2026! Camp Abilities World is gearing up for something big launching in January and we can hardly keep it a secret! Please consider donating to our non-profit organization and/or any other Camp Abilities at www.campabilitiesworld.com/donate and we appreciate anything you can give!

Photo includes an athlete performing at the talent show playing the drums from Camp Abilities Kean University @ Field of Dreams and smiling.

11/24/2025

Faces from All the Places features Coach Daisy from Camp Abilities Texas! She joined the camp family in 2024 as part of the adapted physical education program at Texas Woman's University and joined them for a second year as a Team Leader. Coach Daisy is a first year Health and Physical Education teacher at a a K–8 Montessori school!

Coach Daisy counts down the days re-reading smileygrams (messages coaches and athletes write to each other throughout the week) and “looks forward to returning to the place that always feels like home.” She says, “(Camp is) a place where I’ve grown personally and professionally within a supportive community of professionals and campers. Each year, I’m reminded that we learn just as much from the campers as they learn from us.”

Camp has helped Coach Daisy encourage her students to use effective communication, be descriptive, say what they mean, and let the tone of their voice match the message they want to send. Her advice is: try something new, challenge yourself, and come with an open mind and heart, but most importantly have fun. If you do, you’ll likely find yourself returning year after year, just like I have.” We look forward to seeing Coach Daisy at a future Camp Abilities and appreciate her hard work!

Photos include a headshot photo of Daisy smiling with her arms crossed in front of her, Daisy, another coach, and an athlete smiling after their duathlon, and her smiling while an athlete plays a drum. Additional photos include a group photo of athletes and coaches doing a chant in a circle and a photo of Daisy laying on the ground inside a hula hoop structure.

11/16/2025

Camp Abilities couldn't exist without generous donors across the world. A highlight story from Camp Abilities Saratoga this past year features the Burch family. Quinn B. attended Camp Abilities - Brockport, NY as an athlete several years ago and her father, Jim Burch, was an enthusiastic fundraiser and started the bowling program at Brockport. In 2005, Jim passed away from cancer and CAB continues to honor his legacy with The Jim Burch Above and Beyond Award. This highlights a person, organization, or department who goes "above and beyond" for the benefit of Camp Abilities Brockport. Camp Abilities Saratoga's Director, Tiffany Mitrakos, and Assistant Director, Lizzie Weaver, have both received the award for their outstanding dedication to CAB!

The generosity continues as Quinn's mother, Peg Burch, donated a tandem bike to Camp Abilities Saratoga this year to bring other's joy! We appreciate the Burch's dedication to keep athletes with visual impairments involved in their community and excited to ride in the future!

Photos include a photo of a blue tandem bike parked on a driveway, athletes and coaches lined up getting ready to begin riding on the tandem biking course, and athletes and coaches riding their tandem bikes on the course.

10/28/2025

Camp Rewind: Camp Abilities Tucson hosted its 22nd year of camp this past summer! Athletes and coaches swam, hiked, played soccer, goalball, and golf! They tandem biked, strength trained, and horseback rode! Thanks to a grant from the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), CAT took field trips to Tumamoc Hill, El Rio Golf Course, and The Rockin' Star Ranch. Special thanks to our coaches who came from GateWay Community College OTA program, Rowan University Salva School of Nursing and Health Professions, Camp Abilities Delaware, and Camp Abilities NJ @ Rowan U to help make this year's camp the largest since before COVID. Stay tuned for next years camp from June 7-13, 2026!

Photos include athletes and coaches horseback riding at a ranch, a coach supporting an athlete do trap bar carries in strength training, and an athlete and coach sign together as they walk down a trail. Additional photos include athletes using exercise bands during strength training, athletes and coaches posing at the top of Tumamoc Hill after a long hike, and Coach Casey of the Philadelphia Fire Beep Baseball team teaches an athlete how to swing her bat. Final photos include a coach providing feedback as an athlete hits a golf ball at the driving range and Coach Matt of the New York Bombers team pitches to an athlete.

09/28/2025

Camp Rewind: Camp Abilities Texas hosted 17 athletes in July 2025 and had so much fun! A week filled with learning different sports and perfecting previous skills. They started the week with Metro Blaze Blind Athletes of Texas learning how to play blind soccer, worked with Texas Woman's University Music Therapy program to explore instruments and create talent show acts, and bowled at Twin Pins Bowling Bar! They cooled off with Kona Ice Northwest DFW & Denton, had a pool party to learn how to stand-up paddle board and kayak, and swam their hardest in a their swim meet! They brought back their duathlon where athletes received CATX medals for biking and running and taught their friends and family how to play goalball on their final day! Congratulations on their 10th anniversary of camp and looking forward to seeing them rock in 2026!

Photos include an athlete dribbling a soccer ball trying to score a goal in a game, an athlete and coach lining themselves up with the lane in bowling, and an athlete reading lyrics off a screen holding a mic with a coach watching. Additional photos include a group photo of athletes and coaches standing in front of the Kona Ice truck, a group photo of athletes standing and sitting on the podium after their swim meet, and a sport specialist teaching an athlete how to paddle on a stand-up paddle board on the pool deck. Final photos include an athlete running with their coach during the duathlon and a photo of an athlete with their family wearing goalball pads to learn how to play the game.

09/08/2025

Faces from All the Places features Keith Edgerton from Camp Abilities Olympia (WA)! Even though though Camp Abilities Olympia has retired, we appreciate the hard work Keith and his staff put in to changes dozens of lives over multiple summer camps in 2018, 2019, and 2023. Keith started CAO in October 2016 with a weekend camp and first week-long camp in 2017! After seeing Camp Abilities - Brockport, NY in action, Keith said, "It was a great decision to attend that camp because I left with confidence that I could create my own version of Camp Abilities in the northwest...Being a visually impaired person (VIP) myself, it was awesome to not be the only VIP person in a room or setting, which was normally the case."

CAO's mission was to teach athletes how to play sports safely and advocate for themselves. They hoped when athletes returned to school they could educate physical education teachers or coaches how they could be included with their peers! A previous lacrosse coach himself, Keith loved modifying the activity to help his campers participate during the week along with teaching them how to play goalball, track & field, rock climbing, hiking, and so much more! To read a little more about history, you can visit ThurstonTalk.com who wrote a great article about CAO: https://www.thurstontalk.com/2017/07/08/keith-edgerton-doesnt-need-see-believe/

Keith spends his time in Hawaii soaking up the sun, working remotely, and visiting his family and friends in the mainland. He loves beep baseball and all the water activities when at camp. Keith hopes to start a camp where the sun is always shining and aloha is a greeting, adjective, and way of life! Thanks for all that you do to educate others and best of luck with your next chapter Keith!

Photos include Keith standing with his arms out to the side smiling wearing a blue Camp Abilities Olympia tie dye shirt and Keith helping an athlete find the ball on the tee in beep baseball. Additional photos include Keith walking down a ramp to the water sports with an athlete using Human Guide and Keith standing on a paddle board smiling.

09/02/2025

Camp Rewind: Camp Abilities Portugal - AAMA had a great year back in late June with a variety of sports and activities! Hosted in partnership with AAMA - Associação Actividade Motora Adaptada, athletes participated in goalball, judo, Muay Thai, surfing, picnic dinners, dancing, rugby, and so much more. The athletes and coaches had a great time showing off their skills in the talent show and it was hard to say goodbye at the end of the week. Camp Abilities Portugal says, "It's more than a summer camp, they live a true lesson in humanity, empathy, and inclusion." To see more photos and watch their highight videos, follow them on Facebook! Congratulations on a fantastic year filled with a jam-packed week of adventures and look forward to all the fun you'll have next year!

Photos include an athlete practicing throwing the ball in goalball, athletes lined up to learn judo, and an athlete standing on a surfboard in the water with a coach helping them stay balanced. Additional photos include an athlete smiling with a coach at their outdoor picnic holding a McDonald's cup and french fries, an athlete and coach trying to catch the ball in rugby, and an athlete performing on stage for the talent show with their group camp photo projected on a screen behind them.

08/16/2025

Camp Rewind: Camp Abilities Iowa hosted by the Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired had an amazing June with so many athletes! They ran, biked, swam, dived in goalball, batted in beep baseball and so much more! This year the athletes and coaches practiced their bowling skills as it's a new competitive sport within their athletic conference! They hope the skills they taught encourage athletes to join their local team.

They have a Google Classroom page that they share with all the athletes families so they can know the great things we do throughout the week: https://classroom.google.com/c/NTE2OTIyNDM3NjEy. For more information, please contact Director Brandon at brandon.schellhorn@iaedb.org. Congratulations Camp Abilities Iowa on another successful year!

Photos include a coach helping an athlete bowl in a gymnasium, a coach and athlete riding a side-by-side bike, and an athlete throwing the ball forward in goalball. Additional photos include an athlete running while holding onto a guide wire and a coach spotting an athlete by the hips to do a forward roll. Final photos are a group of people smiling for a selfie and a photo of the words "Talent Show" lit up on a TV screen with athletes standing in front of a crowd.

CAMP ABILITIES WORLD

01/05/2026

12/20/2025

12/09/2025

12/02/2025

12/01/2025

11/24/2025

11/16/2025

10/28/2025

09/28/2025

09/08/2025

09/02/2025

08/16/2025

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